eoff Chaulk is well acquainted
with complaints about facilities
at the Waterford hospital in St.
John’s. There was the toilet in a sevenman room that wasn’t fixed for a week,
the unbearable heat in certain units on
midsummer days, and the chronic lack
of privacy and quiet. That’s just a start.
Chaulk has been executive director of
the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Canadian Mental Health
Association since 2004. By summer
2006, he’d heard enough that he took a
public tour of the Waterford, and invited
the media along.
Calling parts of the hospital “archaic”
and “appalling” got some attention —
but it didn’t last. There are plans in place
to replace the forensic unit, which he
says was the worst of the worst, but
everything else seems to be at a standstill.
“What can we do now to try and make
it somewhat better?” he asks. “If you’re
ill and you’re having to deal with this
sort of physical environment … I don’t
think it’s acceptable that we expect people to deal with things the way they are
now.”
He’s not the only one.
Last week, The Independent ran a
front-page story, Institutional neglect,
detailing one patient’s account of the
“big problems” she saw in her acutecare ward, from “filthy” conditions to a
broken window to lack of activities to
no privacy or secure place to put her
belongings.
Colleen Simms, Eastern Health’s
regional director of mental health,
agreed with most of the patients’ points,
saying the Waterford was “Victorianera” and that she “could never defend”
the number of beds and lack of privacy
within some of the wards.
Since the story appeared, several people — former and current patients or
their family members — have been in
See “What’s the plan,” page 7

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I’m also a
Newfoundlander.
I think it’s a waste to spit
out booze at any point.”
— Rodrigues Winery general
manager Lionel Rodrigues.
See page 25

BUSINESS 15

Torbay woman at
helm of Mountain
Equipment Co-op

A

Former Newfoundland and Labrador Finance minister Winston Baker in front of his new workplace. Denis Drover/For The Independent

‘Are you serious?’
Former Finance minister, Bank of Canada
board member works at Ontario Home Depot
BRIAN
CALLAHAN

W

inston Baker admits he
raised more than a few eyebrows when he applied for
a sales job at a Home Depot in smalltown Ontario.
“I picked up an application and
filled it out, but they must’ve been
kinda shocked when they saw my
resume,” a bemused Baker, 67, tells
The Independent from his home in
Orleans, Ont., about a 10-minute drive
from Ottawa.
“Yes, there was this look of, ‘Are
you serious?’ But you see a lot of
retired people working for Home
Depot and these kinds of places these
days, so they were kind of used to it.
“They had two retired people who
ran big corporations when I started.
Another guy told me he was (working

Continued on page 2

there) to save for his golf money in
Florida.”
Baker’s resume stood out. A math
and sciences teacher for 23 years, he
was the deputy mayor of Gander from
1981-85 before being elected to the
House of Assembly as the Liberal
member for that district.
A one-time NDP candidate, he
served as Opposition spokesman for
Finance and Newfoundland Hydro,
and chairman of the public accounts
committee from 1985-89.
He lost the Liberal leadership to
Clyde Wells in 1987, but held Gander
for the Liberals for 10 years until his
resignation in 1995.
When Wells became premier in
1989, he tapped Baker for such key
positions as deputy premier, Finance
minister, Treasury Board president
and government House leader.
Baker, who graduated from
Memorial with a science degree in
1961 and later completed graduate

studies in education at the University
of Toronto, then moved into the world
of consulting.
In 1996, while delving into the traditional post-politico world of consulting, he was appointed by then-federal
Finance minister Paul Martin to the
first of two, three-year terms on the
board of directors of the Bank of
Canada. His position was later filled
by former provincial Finance minister
Paul Dicks.
Baker also served on the CanadaNewfoundland Offshore Petroleum
Board, but his term expired just after
Premier Danny Williams’ Conservatives came to power in 2003.
So why is Winston Baker working
at Home Depot?
“Well, after three years of being
retired, I found myself just sitting
around and in front of the computer
far too much,” says Baker, whose
See “It’s relaxing,” page 2

former director of revenue
development for the Newfoundland chapter of the Canadian
Cancer Society says she was fired last
spring when she raised concerns about a
$250,000 donation.
Edie Newton, who was hired by the
society on Oct. 2, 2006, says she was
fired in May for insubordination. She
says she questioned why money donated
by the Loyal Orange Lodge Association
specifically for Daffodil Place — a hostel the society is building for people who
must travel to St. John’s for cancer treatment — was instead applied to the cancer society’s operating funds to cover a
large operating deficit.
“You cannot include that in your operating funds. It has to be kept separate,”
Newton tells The Independent.
“It (the donation) has to be used for
Daffodil Place and it also has to be clear
in your financial statements that was
what the gift was for. That’s not what
they did.”
Newton says it was common knowledge within the cancer society that there
would be a deficit because revenue targets were not reached in the summer of
2006. She alleges the donation was put
in operating funds to cover the targets, in
order to apply for bridge funding from a
local bank.
Newton says the society presented
audited financial statements which she
alleges are untrue. She has filed a formal
complaint against the society’s independent auditor with the Canadian
Institute of Chartered Accountants.
As a fundraising professional, Newton
says she felt duty bound to question
why restricted funds were used the way
they were. She questioned both the
donor and the outside auditor personally. Newton says a spokesperson for the
See “Taken out,” page 4

‘We are fat
and dying early’
Randy Simms says overweight people should be given a tax break for shaping up

S

ome might say it’s a novel idea;
some will simply disregard it.
Others will laugh and chalk it
up to foolishness. No, I’m not talking
about the premier’s plan to increase
the number of newborns in our
province by offering a cash bonus for
babies.
There was a suggestion put forward
this week by a St. John’s entrepreneur
that should get some serious consideration. Paula Holloway, owner of
Herbal Magic Ltd., wrote a letter to
Premier Danny Williams that included a radical suggestion — that government give people a tax break for
joining a gym or a weight-loss program.
I said the idea was novel, but it’s a
not all that new. Last year the federal
Conservative government did the very
same thing for children when they
brought in a tax break for parents who
enrol their kids in sports programs.
Holloway argues we should do the
same for adults who need help to lose
weight and get in shape. She says an
incentive plan might be just the ticket
to get some of us sedentary sad sacks
up and at ’em.
Why should we consider such a
thing? Well getting fit would save a
fortune in health-care costs, which
seems to be the crux of her argument.
Healthy people are less of a strain on
the health-care system. Unhealthy
people cost government money.
By being healthy longer we reduce
the costs of MCP, Holloway says.
She has a point.
According to the latest research,
Canadian adults are the most obese
people out of 36 countries studied, and

RANDY SIMMS

Page 2 talk
you and I dear friends, being from
Newfoundland and Labrador, top the
obesity scale in this country. In other
words, we are out of shape. We are fat
and dying early. Dying costs a lot of
money — too much money really —
and Holloway suggests an incentive to
get us up from the kitchen table and
out to the gym.
In February of this year the provincial government, as part of its provincial wellness strategy, unveiled a
series of television ads to promote living healthy. You may recall them —
celebrities like Snook, Brad Gushue,
Bernie Stapleton and others were all
featured. The series of 15-second television commercials promoted healthy
living. If you don’t recall them, don’t
feel bad. The commercial run was not
extensive, though I’m pretty sure the
costs were. There is also a website
(www.gohealthy.ca) attached to the
wellness strategy. You will not be surprised to learn that the site is totally
outdated. The calendar of events for
the year — all associated with the
strategy — is empty. I have no explanation for why that is. People obviously did not submit events. Could it be
no one cares?
I like the idea of using advertisements to constantly remind ourselves
that we have to get off our butts and
get healthy. In this instance, it feels
like the “go-healthy” idea stalled and

no one stepped up to keep the ball
rolling. The bottom line appears to be
an ineffective campaign that cost
thousands of dollars and no one
seemed to notice.
If you go to the website, check out
the news and publications section.
There has been no news since Feb. 22
and the launch of the TV campaign.
Let’s get back to Holloway and her
go healthy idea for a moment. As I
mentioned, the federal government
brought in a package whereby parents
who sign their kids up in sports programs get a $500 tax break.
Why not do the same for adults?
Let’s use some of the money earmarked for the wellness strategy to
provide an opportunity for people who
want to get into shape to actually do it.
I’m pretty sure a lot of people who
don’t go to the gym use the cost
excuse to stay away. We could take
that one right out of my … I mean
their hands. Will it work for everyone? Of course not, but like diets and
medicines they all work for some people.
Holloway has a good idea. Perhaps
that would be a good performance
measure for a province trying to lose
fat and truly get healthy. Imagine the
headlines in the paper — Gym memberships up; Healthy eating now the
norm in Newfoundland. Such headlines are possible, but it’s going to
take more than Snook to persuade us.
A tax break just might do the trick.
Randy Simms is host of VOCM’s Open
Line radio program.
rsimms@nf.sympatico.ca

‘It’s relaxing’
From page 1

always lifting around appliances and
stuff like that. It’s a very active job. I
brother George has punched years just never thought I’d like retail, but I love it.
down the road walking the corridors of I’m enjoying it tremendously. I mean,
Parliament as a senator and former MP.
this is what I’m doing. I’m not ashamed
“I’ve also spent a lot of time picking of it. And I don’t really care what people
up this and that at places like Home think of it.”
Depot. I liked the people there, the
And just because his days in politics
atmosphere, and I
are behind him doesn’t
thought the thing for me
mean he’s stopped fol“I never thought
was to get a bit of exerlowing it.
cise and go to work.
“I’ve become very
I’d like retail, but I
“So I went over,
impartial these days.
grabbed an application,
if (Prime Minister
love it. I’m enjoying But
applied, and got a job.”
Stephen) Harper gets
Baker had also been
too arrogant, they may
it tremendously. I
living in the Ottawa
have to defeat him. I
region for some time in
mean, this is what mean, when a guy says,
his capacity with the
‘Look, here’s the throne
I’m doing. I’m not
Bank of Canada. So
speech and if you defeat
when his son moved to
anything in this it means
ashamed of it. And I an election’ … that is
the area and landed a job
as a financial advisor
absolutely unbelievable
with Nesbitt Burns, don’t really care what and unheard of in
Baker and his wife
history, you
people think of it.” Canadian
decided to settle in.
know?”
His son, daughter-inProvincially, Baker
Winston Baker
law and three grandchilchalks up many of the
dren children live close
problems to “bad record
by.
keeping.”
But isn’t Winston Baker a tad over“My concern was that things really got
qualified for retail?
lax there. But how much of that was
“Yes, there was that. But the thing is, deliberate, I don’t know.”
I’m selling appliances — household
As for his own financial picture, Baker
appliances. And I fit in rather well there. notes he’s not working at Home Depot
I love meeting and talking to people. And for the money.
you know something? I meet hundreds
“I’m getting a little bit above the minand hundreds of Newfoundlanders there. imum wage ($8) now. I started off at the
“Some of them recognize me, yes, and minimum ($7.15 at the time) two-and-awe have a lot of interesting chats.”
half years ago. You get raises and so on,
In fact, many of his co-workers are but that wasn’t the consideration. I mean,
from home.
I was teaching for 23 years and in politics
But exercise, he says, is one of the key for almost 11. So that’s 34 years, with
reasons he sought the job.
pretty much a full pension.”
“It’s relaxing, yes, and it keeps me on my
Baker says Home Depot has been
feet. It keeps me walking all the time and good to him, and he’ll stay as long as the
gives me exercise,” says Baker, who also company will let him.
happens to be a big Ottawa Senators fan. “I
“And right now I’m in superb physical
was having problems … and I couldn’t shape. It’s disgusting, as a matter of fact.
walk very far. Now, all of a sudden I can I’ve got nothing to complain about, hey?
walk for 10 hours a day and it won’t even
“And my wife loves having me out of
bother me. It’s been absolutely marvelous. the house. Absolutely.”
“And physically it’s been great …
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3

SCRUNCHINS
AROUND THE WORLD
There is a report in circulation
that a vessel has arrived in St.
John’s bringing dates four days
later than those by the Mail, with
the intelligence that Mr. Smith
O’Brien has been found guilty of
high treason, and that the
Cholera has broken out in
Edinburgh.
— The Weekly Herald and
Conception-Bay General
Advertiser, Harbour Grace,
Nov. 1, 1848

A Newfoundland mummer.

A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia

M

ost people don’t know this, but former U.S. president Bill Clinton
was reportedly in Town — more
specifically, the Torbay side of St. John’s
International Airport — for four or five
hours one day in late summer after his private jet dropped by on its way overseas.
Clinton apparently wanted nothing more
than to take a tour of the capital city and
vicinity, but the only available limo was a
local cab. Clinton’s secret-service detail
wouldn’t allow Hillary’s husband, as he’s
better known these days, to take a taxi for
security reasons so he hung out in a hangar.
Not much local culture there. Maybe Jiffy
could outfit a cab with bulletproof glass,
tank armour and a roll cage. Such accessories wouldn’t go astray on Friday nights
downtown when a bottle cap or stray pizza
plate could take a tourist out …
CANOE CASING
Of course, the ex-president to most often
drop by Newfoundland and Labrador is
George Bush Sr., who heads to Labrador
once a year or so to fish at the late Craig
Dobbin’s lodge. Dobbin left the older Bush
a little something in his will — an annual
week at his lodge, all expenses paid, for
himself and 20 guests. Imagine the security
on the canoes. Think Pope Mobile with paddles …
VACATION WEEKS
Topsail MHA Beth Marshall does her
vacationing in the South American country
of Belize, where she and hubby, Fortis head
Stan Marshall, own a home away from their
Conception Bay South home. Marshall
reportedly headed there again this week
after Danny Williams passed her over for a
cabinet
post.
(See
Fighting
Newfoundlander, page 8). I don’t mean to
pick on Beth, but her trip raises the question
of how much vacation, if any, MHAs are
entitled to. Neither the Members’ Resources
and Allowances Rules Manual nor the
Members’ Handbook make any mention of
vacation time. There is a note about how
MHAs will be docked $200 for every day
they’re not in the House of Assembly when
it’s open, but no specific mention of vacation entitlement. The rule makers probably
see MHAs as mature and professional
enough to make their own calls on taking
time off. That should work out well. Next

Paul Daly/The Independent

thing you know Confederation Building will
be put on barrels and floated out The
Narrows for resettlement to Florida. Belize
is just too far south …
PREMIER POSTING
Beth may have been left out of cabinet but
Charlene Johnson is finally in as minister of
Environment and Conservation. Charlene’s
well qualified, with a degree in forest engineering from the University of New
Brunswick and a masters degree in applied
science and environmental engineering from
Memorial. First elected in the 2003 general
election at the tender age of 27, Charlene
was the youngest woman ever elected to the
House of Assembly. She also has an ambitious streak. In a page 2 article by The Globe
and Mail’s Roy MacGregor during the
height of the 2003 campaign, Johnson talked
about being premier of the province before
too long.
She’s on her way …
MILLION-DOLLAR MAN
By the by, Danny will continue to donate
his $160,000-plus annual premier’s salary to
charity throughout his second term. If he
serves a full three terms — and he hasn’t
ruled that out — he may actually hit the million-dollar mark in terms of charitable donations. Not to worry, Charlene — you may
win 6-49 yet. But then most MHAs hit the
jackpot when they’re elected …
GENEROUS TO A FAULT
Speaking of donations, the Canadian
Press reported this week that Canadian taxpayers reported $8.5 billion in charitable
donations in 2006, 8.3 per cent higher than
in 2005. The value of donations increased in
all provinces and territories, with the highest
increases coming in Alberta (up 15.5 per
cent), the Yukon (15.2), and Newfoundland
and Labrador (13.9).
The number of donors declined slightly in
all provinces and territories, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador where
the number remained relatively stable.
There may be fewer of us all the time but
we’re giving more than ever …
EMPTY POSTS
The provincial economy is definitely
heating up. The Fortune Bay East
Development Association issued a newsletter recently outlining how it had been
approved for 22 student positions this past

summer. “Due to students leaving their communities for summer work elsewhere,” the
newsletter read, “the association was only
able to get 15 students to fill the positions.”
This may be a stupid question, but I wonder
if Clinton is looking for work …
FEAR AND LOATHING
Finally this week, the University of
Missouri-Columbia issued a news release
recently about a study its researchers carried
out about mummers. “According to tradition,” the release reads, “small groups of villagers in Newfoundland, or mummers, disguise their identities and go to other houses
to threaten violence, as a means of establishing trust within a community.”
“The mummers who threaten violence
must prove themselves trustworthy by not
committing a real act of violence, and the
hosts of the invaded home must demonstrate
trust by not responding to threats with fear
or violence,” says Christina Nicole
Pomianek, a doctoral student.
“In this ritual, participants are making
themselves vulnerable at the hands of the
other,” says Craig T. Palmer, assistant professor of anthropology in the College of Arts
and Science. “It’s a way for community
members to prove their trust and commitment to each other.”
The timing of the mummering ritual was
just before the long winter months, during
which villagers often had to rely on the generosity of neighbours “to avoid starvation,”
Palmer says. He says the timing makes
sense, since trust during the difficult winter
was particularly important to survival.
Today, mummering in Newfoundland
continues only on a small scale, mostly as a
tourist attraction. Palmer said mummering
severely declined in the late 1950s and ’60s,
when roads were built to connect the formerly isolated communities to the outside
world in the winter. Members of the communities began to fear mummering because
“in the back of their minds they worried
some outsider might have come on the road
and couldn’t be trusted.
“Trust is very important in all communities,” he says. “Most people don’t live in
small-scale communities anymore, so we
are often uncertain about whether or not we
can trust the people with whom we interact.
We’re constantly calculating how much we
can trust other people.”
Now we know how Clinton felt …
ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

AROUND THE BAY
We learn that home Government
is sending out immediately the
material of the Light House for
Cape Race — the tower to be of
iron. The latter provision, it may
be remembered, is opposed to
the view of the local Commissioners, who disapproved of iron
as unsuited to the frequent alternations of our climate. An engineer comes out to superintend
the erection.
— The Newfoundlander,
St. John’s, Nov. 1, 1901
YEARS PAST
A number of young men are
now preparing themselves to
travel the island giving performances at the most thickly populated places. Horizontal bars,
boxing gloves, etc., comprise
their paraphernalia, but it is not
likely that the gloves will be
needed.
— The Daily News, St. John’s,
Nov. 1, 1901
EDITORIAL STAND
We are happy to know that the
Government has sent provisions
to the District of Bonavista, to be
given in payment for work to be
done on the roads. This is just
what we expected Government
would do, but we are sorry to
learn that it is intended that the
assistance now given is to be
deducted from next year’s road
grant, if a grant should be made.

We contend that it is the duty of
the Government to save the people from actual starvation by
giving them the opportunity of
earning their own support, wherever the fisheries have failed;
also that they should be placed
on a distinct footing from the
permanent poor, and not be
degraded to the state of actual
paupers. As the failure of the
fisheries is exceptional, so the
relief given should be exceptional, and not attempt to support the
population out of next year’s
revenue.
— The Telegraph, St. John’s,
Nov. 2, 1864
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir — I think the drinking portion of the community ought to
be warned that there is in some
of the public houses, a spurious
poisonous kind of non-descript
liquor, which taken in but very
small quantities sets the individual mad, and disposes him to
perpetrate any violence. The
effect is altogether different from
that of common intoxication.
The liquor is said to be of
American manufacture, and in
all respects of the most dangerous sort. The taste is between
that of brandy and rum. The public would do well to be on their
guard – Inspector
— The Weekly Herald and
Conception-Bay General
Advertiser, Nov. 1, 1848
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Look in whatever direction we
will, we can see nothing for
Newfoundland but Confederation. We cannot remain as we
are — we cannot go back to old
forms of government. Annexation to the U.S. too is out of the
question. No sane man would
propose such a thing. Without
regarding the immense burden
of taxation while the people of
that country have to bear at
present, its government is the
most corrupt on the face of the
earth.
— The Public Ledger and
Newfoundland General
Advertiser, Nov. 5, 1869

Observer’s Weekly, 1945

4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

Government or opposition?
Byelection not a must win for Liberals: Dumaresque
By Ivan Morgan
The Independent

A

lthough a win in the upcoming Grand
Falls-Windsor-Buchans vote would be
a gem for either opposition party, the
provincial Liberals say it’s not a “must-win.”
The sudden death of Liberal candidate
Gerry Tobin on Oct. 1 delayed the vote in the
district by four weeks. On Nov. 6, the residents
of Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans will finally
get to choose their next MHA.
NDP candidate Junior Downey says leader
Lorraine Michael has already spent several
days campaigning with him, and he expects
her back before the vote. The party says the
House of Assembly needs strong opposition,
and the district can help provide it.
A spokesperson for the Liberals says leader
Gerry Reid may do some campaigning with
John Woodrow on the weekend.
“Basically the people of the province have
already cast their opinion, and undoubtedly we
would love to win it, but I don’t see it as a
must-win at all as far as importance to the
party is concerned,” provincial Liberal party
president Danny Dumaresque tells The
Independent.
He says the election is not a vote of confidence in the government in the way a normal
byelection would be judged.
“We see this as basically an extension of the
election and we would be delighted to win it

but bearing the result of the (general) election
it probably won’t be a surprise if we don’t.”
Susan Sullivan, the Tory candidate, says the
premier did a substantial amount of campaigning with her early in the campaign, and she has
not asked him to return.
The only original candidate, Sullivan calls
the death of her widely respected opponent a
“terrible tragedy.” She says she simply shut
down her campaign on receiving the news.
A retired educator and deputy mayor of
Grand Falls-Windsor, Sullivan says starting
the campaign again was a slow process. But
the advent of two new opponents fired up her
team.
Sullivan says she is “very confident” about
her chances.
Downey, a paper worker with AbitibiConsolidated, says he didn’t run in the general
election because he didn’t feel ready. He had
taken over the leadership of the NDP’s local
district association five weeks before the election when the previous president, Tobin, quit
to run for the Liberals.
He says Tobin’s sudden death, gave him the
time he needed to prepare a campaign.
He doesn’t mince words when asked how
his campaign is going “It’s going perfect.”
The district is one of the hardest for an NDP
candidate to win, having only been held by
Liberals or Tories, says the long time party
supporter. Downey says the closest the NDP
came to winning there was with candidate

Brian Blackmore in 1985.
“That was one of those nights where we
we’re having a victory celebration down at the
office. The count came in against Len Simms
and we had won,” Downey says. “But when
they woke up the next morning they had lost,
when the special vote from Memorial
University was counted.” He says the loss, by
41 votes, was heartbreaking.
Liberal hopeful John Woodrow — whose
nomination stirred controversy because of his
role in a 1990s bribery scandal involving thenLiberal cabinet minister Beaton Tulk — is in a
tough spot, having to pick up the campaign
from his deceased colleague.
He says he has been promoting issues Tobin
championed during his campaign, such as
health care, establishing another university in
central Newfoundland, and extending Bill C27 — the act between Abitibi and the province
— past 2010, a crucial issue for Grand Falls.
He’s also been campaigning on the premise
he would be more effective in opposition than
a government backbencher. Woodrow says the
dynamic in the district has changed since the
provincial election, as people there are aware
of the premier’s large majority.
He says the provincial Liberal party is
pulling out all the stops to support him.
“I admire them for that. They’re really going
over and above.”
ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

‘Taken out
of the loop’
From page 1
Loyal Orange Lodge Association
told her they had no discussion with
the society about the funds being
used for operating expenses.
Judy Barnes of the Loyal Orange
Lodge Association, who also sits on
the Daffodil Place management
committee, says she is familiar with
the accusations.
“I don’t have any problem with it.
It is all above board.”
She says the money did not go into
operating funds. She says the money
was earmarked for Daffodil Place
and “that’s where the money has
gone.”
On the advice of her lawyer,
Newton says she asked the executive
director about the matter, which she
says led to her firing, despite previous positive performance reviews.
Newton says she has complained to
the national office of the Canadian
Cancer Society, and filed a complaint
with the RNC, as well as the complaint against the society’s auditor.
Peter Dawe, executive director of
the local chapter of the Cancer
Society, says there is no substance to
the allegations, which he says are
totally false.
He says Newton’s concerns were
investigated by the national organization and they found no evidence of
misuse of donated funds.
“The bottom line is that the Loyal
Orange Lodge donated $250,000 to
build Daffodil Place, and every cent
of the $250,000 is being used to
build Daffodil Place,” says Dawe.
Royal
Newfoundland
Constabulary spokespman Paul
Davis says their investigation did not
find enough evidence to warrant the
laying of charges.
A spokesperson for the Canadian
Institute of Chartered Accountants
says they will begin their investigation into Newton’s allegations next
week.
The national president of the
Canadian Cancer Society says her
staff investigated the allegations and
found nothing wrong.
“We had our auditors take a look
at the accounting practices that were
used to account for those funds, and
we’re satisfied that it was a proper
approach that was used,” says
Barbara Whylie.
Dawe says the RNC investigation
and the internal audit show no misconduct. He says the investigation
into the external auditor will also

exonerate the society.
“They won’t come up with a different result than the RNC.”
Newton provided a list of former
employees of the society who she
said would vouch for her.
Heather Rogers, former database
manager, who says she was let go
from the society, says Newton’s
complaint is credible.
“Without a doubt. She is one of the
most genuine people I have ever
met. Honest and very, very ethical.”
She says she is “very familiar”
with the issue and says in her opinion Newton was fired for speaking
up.
Gina Smith, a 17-year employee
of the society, says she was let go on
Oct. 29 for supporting Newton. She
says while she was formally told
restructuring made her job redundant, she says a private e-mail of
support she sent to Newton — her
supervisor — from her home the day
Newton was fired also went to
Newton’s work account, and came to
the attention of Dawe.
Smith says she was “interrogated
on every sentence in the e-mail” and
given a letter of reprimand.
She said from that time onward
she was “taken out of the loop” and
felt her dismissal was imminent. She
says Newton “felt in her heart what
she was doing was honest and right.”
A number of other former employees of the cancer society have substantiated Newton’s claims, but have
asked that their names not be published.
Dawe says Newton is “an exemployee who is maliciously trying
to smear what most people would
think is a very needed project in the
province.”
He questions why Newton is being
so persistent with her allegations if
no one else sees the issue. When told
she says she was fired for bringing
this issue up, he challenges her statement.
“Well that’s her version of it. I just
told you she was a probationary
employee who had her probation
extended because obviously her performance wasn’t satisfactory. She
brought up the allegation after that.”
“In the meantime, I would take it
quite personally and the organization
would take it quite serious if a disgruntled employee’s — a former
employee’s — allegation is given
merit without some substantiation to
it.”
ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

Edie Newton

Paul Daly/The Independent

Priest cleared of charges

A

Roman Catholic priest has been
cleared of sexual assault charges.
Father Wayne Dohey was accused of
sexual assault and sexual exploitation while

Premier Danny Williams with members of his new cabinet shortly after the official swearing-in ceremony at Government House in St. John’s Oct. 30. Jack Byrne and Tom Osborne were dropped from cabinet and given other roles; Byrne as
deputy Speaker of the House and Osborne as deputy chairman of committees. Roger Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is the new Speaker of the House, replacing Harvey Hodder.
Paul Daly/The Independent

‘Danny fiddled while Corner Brook burned’
I
t put me a little in mind of when
Lady Diana was killed. The Queen
was up in Scotland at the time on
her regular holiday and didn’t shift the
royal arse quite quickly enough to suit
the saccharine mob heaping flowers
against the palace fence back in
London.
Word got to Her Majesty that she’d
better get back quick or there might be
a little trembling of the throne. And so
it was, also, that King Danny was off
on holidays when Corner Brook suffered the sad loss of a paper machine.
Why was the Dear Leader off somewhere flicking sand out of his navel
while his loyal subjects had been dealt
a grievous blow to their lives and paycheques?
Pressure grew and back his premiership flew to share his subjects’
pain and be a rock of comfort in a
troubled time. Three whole days!
Danny Boy made sure everyone knew
he cared so much that he’d cut his holidays short by three ... whole ... days!
There’s sacrifice for you. Three

RAY GUY

A Poke
In The Eye

whole days so selflessly and heroically given. Buy a poppy for Danny.
But like the Queen, King Danny
still gave signs of puzzlement about
the fickle nature of the mob. Why did
some people think everything was up
to him? he mused in public. At the
same time, why were some people
saying he didn’t delegate more to his
ministers?
Uneasy, I suppose, lies the head that
has worn the chief executive officer’s
crown so long and now must adjust to
a more democratic way of running the
kitchen.
It may be a good sign. Williams
holds a near dictatorship, but the real
world is not like the board room.
There are more surprises and sudden
squalls off the land.

Before he left on holidays, having
shed his life’s blood in the elections,
Williams stuck his face on two TV
shows with those Newfoundland
funny bozos — Rick Mercer and
Mark Critch. How human, how
unstarchy, what a good sport. A
cavorting Danny, a Danny acting the
fool, a refreshing other side of grim
old Danny.
Trouble was, I suppose, those TV
hijinks were filmed and recorded
ahead of time. Those who lost their
jobs at the Corner Brook mill had all
the time in the world to sit around and
watch Premier Williams cut capers.
Danny fiddled while Corner Brook
burned.
Yes, it is a good sign. To whom
much is given, much shall be required.
The Newfoundland voter, for whatever reason, gave Williams the keys to
the kingdom. (You’d see a bigger
hatch in a nest of sparrows than there
are members in opposition.)
And yet there are already some
peeps of indignation. A few think it

Alberta’s loss
may be Newfoundland’s gain
By Brian Callahan
The Independent

N

ewfoundland businesses may well profit
from Alberta’s so-called royalty grab but
to what extent remains to be seen, says the
province’s Finance minister, Tom Marshall.
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach floored that
province’s oil industry recently by announcing
plans to take more money from the energy sector,
although the amount is less than a governmentcommissioned panel recommended earlier this
fall.
Under the new controversial royalty regime,
money collected from energy business could be
20 per cent higher in 2010 than forecast. That
could pump an additional $1.4 billion into Alberta
coffers. But even that is about half a billion dollars less than the expert review panel wanted.
Starting in 2009, royalty rates will increase
across the board.
In the oil sands, for example, rates will start rising when the price of oil is higher than $55 a barrel, with a new maximum of 40 per cent of a company’s net revenue, up from a fixed rate of 25 per
cent.
In response, energy companies have threatened
to cut billions in spending.
Marshall says they could also speed up produc-

tion and shorten the life of some projects in retaliation.
“But whether we capitalize on that or not I
think is speculative,” Marshall tells The
Independent.
“Those (royalty) changes are about two years
away yet.”
SEEK BEST RETURN
Energy companies will seek investments
around the world and base their decisions on
where they can get the best return, he says.
“I think Alberta will remain competitive in the
global environment. You know, Alberta is still a
good place for oil companies to invest. But
Newfoundland and Labrador is also a good place
to invest.”
Marshall says Alberta’s new royalty regime
may also change the ranking of various investment opportunities that the companies have been
eyeing.
“It could result in a delay in some projects in
Alberta, or it could possibly mean an acceleration
of projects, including here. But whether we’re
going to benefit, it’s possible, but very speculative
at this point.”
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

odd that there seems to be no notion of
an inclination of an idea to open the
House of Assembly until ... when?
The wind is NNE at 24 knots with the
temperature at 21 C and a hazy overcast?
For all that, there’s no more than
three-quarters of a nest of sparrows in
opposition, the common folk seem to
feel ingrained twitches that the House
of Assembly is more an assembly of
dust bunnies, used more as a backdrop for TV announcers recalling
when it was last in use, than it is a
place where the people can see the
beady little eyes of the people’s representatives.

SENSE THE WEIGHT
The voters sense the weight of what
they’ve committed. They’ve crowned
a king and he’d better do as they command. Like Queen Liz on holiday in
Scotland, King Danny had better be
ready to cut short his holidays at a
moment’s notice.
We’ve had these kings/premiers

before, the obvious one being too
famous to mention.
But as time has passed, their bestbefore date gets shorter and shorter.
We won’t see a 20-year reign again. In
fact, the second four-year term is now
usually the steep downhill one. If
that’s the one we’re now started on, it
will be interesting to see how Danny
copes.
If his natural personality and his
experience before politics (a selfmade man who worships his creator)
rears up against a natural turning of
the tide, it may be the answer to a
maiden’s prayer for poor ink-stained
wretches like myself.
In that case, all we’ll have to do is
simply sit back and record political
events adding the very slightest
embroidery to produce some wildly
hailed satire. An easy dollar. We’ve
seen it before and, for the health of the
body politic, we’ll see it again.
Ray Guy’s column will return on
Nov. 30.

6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

Soldiers from 1st battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, silhouetted against a setting sun in Kandahar.

Silvia Pecota/Canadian Forces

Still no life like it: Forces
By Brian Callahan
The Independent

I

f news reports and videos of Canadian soldiers
returning home from Afghanistan in flagdraped caskets are affecting recruiting efforts,
the numbers don’t show it.
“We’re certainly not seeing that,” says Capt.
Holly Brown, public affairs officer with the
Canadian Forces recruiting group at the
Department of National Defence (DND) in
Ottawa.
“What I’m hearing from the various recruiting
centres is some people are asking, ‘If I join up,
will I have to go to Afghanistan?’ But we’re also
seeing a lot of people who are asking, ‘Am I going
to get to go?’”
With Remembrance Day on the horizon, Brown
says interest in joining the Canadian Forces is as
high as ever. The lure of good pay, free education
and guaranteed employment continues to entice
young men and women, Brown tells The
Independent.
“But don’t underestimate the patriotism of
young Canadians, either. There’s also the desire to

go out into the world and make a difference.”
The Canadian Forces does not keep hard statistics on the numbers of deployed soldiers from a
particular region of the country. In fact, the military does not have a statistics division at all, so it’s
impossible to know how many Newfoundlanders
are currently overseas.
But DND does keep an eye on recruiting numbers, which Brown says have remained constant
or increased in the past few years.
The numbers show roughly 200 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians continue to enrol each
year — 211 last year, 205 in 2005-06 and 208 in
2004-05, with an average age of 24. Nova Scotia,
by comparison, saw 608,673 and 507 enroll for
the same years.
Ontario, which usually leads the country, contributed 2,354 recruits last year and 1,930 the year
before that.
Recently, the military has used large advertising
signs with fluorescent lettering to attract reserves
in some smaller Newfoundland communities, but
it’s not clear how successful the campaign has
been.
It remains a fact, Brown says, that areas of high

unemployment traditionally see the most recruits.
But she says such regions are not specifically targeted for recruiting full-time soldiers or reserves.
“There’s certainly no targeting on our part in
particular areas. We don’t concentrate our recruiting efforts in an area due to its economic situation,
that’s for sure. And our strategies are the same
across the board, whether it’s in Newfoundland or
Ontario or B.C.”
Brown also notes not everyone is shipped off to
Afghanistan or other war-torn, unstable nations or
“theatres,” in military lingo.
“It concerns us whenever we see in the media or
through the public that when people think of the
Forces they tend to think just Afghanistan or just
war. There’s so much more to the Forces. That’s
just so short-sighted,” Brown says.
“We understand it’s in the forefront of the public’s mind. And so it seems like most of the time,
when you hear about the Forces, it’s usually about
Afghanistan. Yes, it’s horrible … the casualties
there. But when you look at the size of the Forces,
and the different types of operations and occupations, it’s certainly far from it to say that if you
join the Forces you’re going overseas to get

killed.”
Seventy-one Canadians have lost their lives in
Afghanistan since the country joined the NATO
presence there in 2002. Seven were Newfoundlanders.
Brown says that’s significant but not a large
number “when you look at the thousands that are
rotated through there.”
As to why the majority of people are joining, “I
think there are as many motivations as there are
people joining.”
Salaries and benefits are likely at the top of the
list, though.
On average, a regular force (full-time) officer’s
pay starts at $42,000, which increases to $66,000
after five years. A reserve force (part-time) officer
receives $92 per day which increases to $153 per
day after two years.
There are also health and pension benefits
offered.
“Honestly? It’s never been a better time to join
the Forces,” Brown says. “There’s just so much
being offered these days.”
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

he state of the province’s arenas is reaching an emergency situation, with aging
facilities and declining clientele, says the
president of the province’s recreation association.
“It’s a bit of both, the infrastructures are crumbling, and the use of those infrastructures are
becoming less and less each year,” Todd Mercer,
the president of Recreation Newfoundland and
Labrador, tells The Independent.
He says the problem is a national one, with a
recent report stating a nationwide $30-billion
deficit on recreation infrastructure. He says the
problem is easily in excess of $30 million in
Newfoundland and Labrador, a sum he says
would only fix the things required to keep
province’s arenas operating.
Most of the province’s arenas were built in the
1970s, says Mercer, and are in need of repair or
replacement. He uses the example of the arena
in Springdale, where he is the town’s recreation
director.
“Our equipment has been rebuilt and re-fixed
so many times now it’s almost impossible to
find parts for half these things,” he says.
A full upgrade for the local arena would cost
as much as $1.6 million, which Springdale, a
small community of 2,600, cannot afford without provincial government help.
In the past few years, says Mercer, the provincial government has been offering 80-20 per
cent financing deals for towns to upgrade existing or build new facilities. St. Anthony is building a new stadium for $5 million to $6 million,
he says, while Lewisporte has chosen to renovate at a cost of $4 million.
Lewisporte town manager Perry Pond says his
facility has run into trouble on that renovation.
The town requested $2.3 million in funding for
the upgrade, and the lowest tender came back at
$5.5 million, stopping renovations in their
tracks. He says he expects an answer from government “any day” on assistance to overcome

the shortfall.
Nearby Bishop’s Falls is not faring any better.
Town clerk Toni Elliott says the breakdown of
their stadium’s “chiller” means they cannot
make ice. The town has requested 100 per cent
funding from the government — $100,000 to get
the arena up and running.
Mercer says his facility in Springdale can
draw on other communities to sustain it, but he
says government and communities are going to
have to look at regional facilities in the face of
declining populations.
He says some of these facilities already exist,
but it’s a matter of smaller communities realizing they’re going to abandon their local rinks
and drive 20 minutes or a half hour to get to their
hockey games.
“And until you’re forced to that point, why
would you want to?”
Craig Tulk, executive director of Hockey
Newfoundland, says the greater St. John’s area
is facing the opposite problem, with growing
pressure for ice time.
He says Kelligrews, with the largest minor
hockey membership in the province — and
growing — is going to need a second facility.
The towns on the Northeast Avalon
announced plans in February for a new $6.5million arena, with $4.9 million from the
provincial government.
Elliott says it’s tough on the local kids of
Bishop’s Falls when the arena is out of commission. She says young people look forward to
hockey, figure skating and other rink activities.
Mercer agrees, saying the situation is particularly hard on young people. He says
Newfoundland and Labrador has one of
the highest rates of obesity in Canada, and
a closed arena removes another outlet for physical activity.
As well, he says, once young people miss a
year, it’s hard to get them back the next, because
they find some other activity or they decide they
aren’t interested in arena sports.
“And that’s a problem.”
ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

Another Barry plant to close

F

or the second time in four months, the Barry
Group has announced the closure of a
Newfoundland fish plant.
About 200 workers at the crab plant in Trouty,
Trinity Bay were told Oct. 31 their plant is closing, a shock to the vast majority of employees
who work there yet commute from as far away as
Bonavista, about an hour’s drive.
The plant had processed more than two million
kilograms of crab last year.

Reports say the workers will be offered jobs at
other Barry plants, but it’s not clear if everyone
will be taken care of, or where they would have
to move.
Corner Brook-based Barry Group closed its
Port aux Basques plant in July, throwing 110
people out of work.
The company blamed the high Canadian dollar
for its decision.
— Brian Callahan

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7

‘What’s the plan for the Waterford?’
From page 1
touch with The Independent to share their own
frustrations.
None wanted to be named.
A 37-year-old woman who spent seven weeks
in the Waterford last year read from a 10-page letter she wrote to management, detailing her experiences, which ranged from being hit on by a
male patient — and subsequently feeling unsafe
— to seeing patients fall asleep on their beds,
fully clothed, with no more attention paid to them
all night.
This former patient, who has an undiagnosed
neurological disease, says she was “the youngest
woman ever to be placed in that geriatric ward.”
Being “more lucid” than those around her, she
says she was often horrified and saddened by
what she saw.
“Some patients were only bathed once a week
… one night, I wanted a shower and waited hours
for someone to come help me, but they never did
— and they won’t let us do it ourselves.
“You have to ask for a drink, and it’s not
always easy to get someone to help you … there’s
no activities, nothing to do but watch TV and wait
for meals.”
A 31-year-old current patient, diagnosed with
schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, called to
offer kudos for the medical treatment he was
receiving and the staff he sees every day.
Although he’s been in better facilities across the
country, he says he’s never felt closer to healthy.
“But the building, yes, I have to agree with
everything that’s been said,” he told The
Independent. “There’s changes that should be
made.”
Another woman, a cousin of a patient, admitted
she had trouble sleeping at night, knowing a family member was staying in a “dingy” bed in a
room with five others and nowhere to go to get
away from often violent outbursts of others.
Chaulk says there’s a major review underway
of hospital needs in St. John’s, but any results are
years away from reality.
“What do we do in the meantime to make it
better?” he asks. “I think it’s only fair that some
improvements be made until the larger hospital
planning is complete.”
The privacy issue is first and foremost in
Chaulk’s mind.
“When you’re so ill you get admitted to the
Waterford, to me it would only seem natural you
would want time away from the stresses and pressured that other people are dealing with, so you
would have some private spaces and quiet time,”
he says.
“Six-bed rooms can become seven and can
become eight, and I’ve heard that from a number

of people … Even if you got it down to four-bed
rooms, there would be some acknowledgement of
people’s need for privacy … you could take an
ICU approach, have a few people in a room, sectioned off, and as they get well, move them to
rooms with a little more privacy, actually some
peace and quiet.”
He’d like to see some sort of air conditioning in
the building, “not rocket science, in this day and
age.”
A year after his media tour of the Waterford,
late last summer, Chaulk received a call from the
mother of a patient, “not impressed by the conditions at all.” That spurred him back into action.
“I thought, you know, I’ve been brewing over
this for a while, there’s been no action since the
tour, there’s been no overture from Eastern
Health. I don’t want to point fingers, I want to
work with someone who can help us make
changes.”
So Chaulk and members of his board recently
had a meeting with members of the board of
Eastern Health. At that meeting it was agreed that
Chaulk would participate in the development of
the new forensic services unit.
He’s eagerly awaiting a follow-up sit-down
with senior management. “What’s the plan for the
Waterford? We have to stop pretending that it’s
not there and these things are going to go away.
“They’re only going to go away if we get
together and do something about it.”
Chaulk envisions a new tertiary level, or specialized, mental health centre for the province,
with a limited number of beds to serve the most
complex mental health services. That would be
complemented by more community-based
resources and support.
That, too, is years away. For now, the delivery
of mental health care still very much relies on the
Waterford.
Chaulk makes it clear his concerns focus on the
hospital itself — not the treatments going on
there.
“I haven’t received any complaints about
patient care,” he says. “It’s more the physical
plant and why have we as a community and a
province allowed this to be this way.”
For that, he blames ingrained attitudes in society and government.
“It is stigma, over the years, that has played a
role in the Waterford remaining as it is,” he says.
“Historically in this country, mental health has
been lower down the priority ladder. There’s a
tendency not to understand the nature of the illness, the degree of disability that can come from
them, and the growing evidence that people can
recover.”
stephanie.porter@theindependent.ca

Province
balks at one
per cent cut
By Brian Callahan
The Independent

T

he Newfoundland government is not prepared
to follow Ottawa’s lead and cut one per cent
from its share of the harmonized sales tax,
Finance Minister Tom Marshall says.
“Many of the private-sector economists and think
tanks … it’s not unanimous, but it’s virtually unanimous that cutting the GST is the least effective means
of improving productivity and competitiveness in the
economy,” Marshall tells The Independent.
“They recommend personal and corporate income
tax cuts instead.”
Marshall notes that was the avenue of choice for
the province in this year’s budget, following an indepth review of the tax system with representatives of
labour and business.
“We thought the priority was personal income tax,
so we gave the largest tax cut in the province’s history,” he says.
“Those cuts were sustainable and responsible and
we put money back in people’s pockets. There was
relief for all taxpayers across the board, particularly
at the low income end. We removed a lot of low
income people from the tax roll.”
The strategy will almost immediately help people
pay bills and, in turn, make the province’s economy
more competitive and help attract and retain skilled
workers, Marshall says, noting the provincial tax cut
will be “fully annualized” as of Jan. 1.
“We felt that was the way to do that … that it
would have the biggest impact.”
The same principle is being applied to the suggestion of matching the one per cent reduction in the
GST, he says.
The seven per cent GST was instituted in January
1991 and combined with the sales taxes of three
Atlantic provinces — Newfoundland, New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia — in April 1997 to cre-

ate a 15 per cent joint federal-provincial harmonized
sales tax (HST).
Ottawa has since reduced the GST to five per cent
while Newfoundland’s share remains at eight per cent
for a total HST of 13 per cent.
Marshall says the province will again review taxing ahead of the spring 2008 budget, but it will likely be status quo at least until then. He noted a one per
cent cut translates into a loss of about $80 million for
the province.
“If we were to cut our share of the HST by one per
cent, we would forego about that much in revenue.
Ottawa is lowering taxes. I’m a great believer in taking government’s hand out of people’s pockets.
“The debate is over how you do that? Does the
province also intend to lower its part of HST? There
is no obligation (to do so).”
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

Baby steps
toward new prison
By Brian Callahan
The Independent

T

hey have yet to physically meet, but a
committee of union and government officials will tour federal prisons across
Canada later this month to determine what type
of correctional facility would best suit this
province.
That’s assuming Ottawa agrees to build a new
one.
No one argues against the need for a new
prison for Newfoundland and Labrador. Her
Majesty’s Penitentiary, nearing its 150th birthday, is plagued by outdated facilities, overcrowding and lack of space for modern programming.
Add to that the fact the prison regularly houses both federal and provincial inmates, and the
old penitentiary can make its own case for
replacement.
NAPE president Carol Furlong is willing to
advance the cause just the same.
“We’re very pleased the employer has
involved the union and staff in having a say in
the new facility,” Furlong tells The Independent,
adding the committee will meet for the first time
in the next two weeks, prior to the tour.
“They’re the ones on the front lines … and
have the best knowledge of its needs. This will
be a facility that houses both federal and provincial inmates.
“Our understanding is that there will be a new
prison here. Right now, (the penitentiary) houses
both types of inmates. We’re the only province
where provincial and federal inmates are under
one roof.”
Furlong acknowledges serious discussions
have yet to take place with the federal or provincial ministers of Justice.
She admits there have been no promises from

the federal government.
Tom Marshall, who was the province’s Justice
minister until January 2007, says he discussed
the issue with federal Public Safety Minister
Stockwell Day in 2006.
“When I was there, I had discussions with him
on the idea that we could look at possibly costsharing a new prison,” Marshall tells The
Independent.
“He indicated he was prepared to explore
options. And that’s where it was when I left.”
Marshall handed over the Justice reins to Tom
Osborne, who has since been replaced in the
portfolio by Jerome Kennedy. Neither could be
reached for comment before The Independent’s
deadline.
“We were planning to meet with (Osborne),
but now we’ll be contacting (Kennedy) in the
very near future,” Furlong says.
Her Majesty’s Penitentiary was built in 1859
and renovated in 1945, 1981 and 1994. It houses primarily medium and maximum security
male prisoners.
According to the provincial government website, all admissions from the Avalon Peninsula,
high security male inmates, long-term remands
and those awaiting transfer to a federal penitentiary are housed at the prison.
Furlong says she understood province officials were in discussions with Ottawa on the
issue.
“There are federal inmates at this prison and
the province is housing those inmates for the
federal system. So there has to be some recognition by Ottawa … that they have to accept some
of the responsibility for the inmates who are
here.
“Obviously they have a responsibility to honour that in some form.”
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

The anti-arse kissers
W

ho could blame Beth
Marshall for being out of the
country these days after
being slapped in the face by the boss?
I take that back, slapped may be a bit
harsh. Put in her place might be a better
way to put it — or snubbed. Or passed
over. Beth most definitely found herself
a shade red in the face; I’m comfortable
saying that.
Take this to the bank: Danny’s still
pissed at her. Which is a lesson to the
shiny new cabinet — don’t buck the
boss. (I’ll come back to that point.)
Why else would the premier leave
one of his best players — a potential
cleanup hitter — off his game-day roster? He released his cabinet lineup this
week and Beth finds herself back in the
dugout with the rest of the PC benchwarmers, a mostly dispensable bunch.
Beth’s province could do with her competence; Danny can do without.
What a sin. What a waste. What the
hell is Danny thinking? (I’ll venture
back here too in a moment.)
And Beth was being so good lately.
The Independent noted in midSeptember how there was no mention
of Danny Williams on Marshall’s campaign signs. The news was notable
because of Beth’s history with the premier. The MHA for Topsail district

RYAN CLEARY

Fighting
Newfoundlander
resigned from cabinet in September
2004 over Danny’s “management
style.” Not including the boss was a
statement in itself. “Frig Danny and the
RV he rode in on,” the signs seemed to
say.
But The Independent apparently didn’t get the whole story.
Beth’s campaign manager telephoned the newspaper to say the placards in question were old ones. In fact,
Beth’s new campaign signs sported a
picture of Beth and Danny with their
arms wrapped around each other. The
picture “wasn’t even posed,” the campaign manager pointed out. That was
real love and affection beaming from
their joyous faces, is how I put it at the
time.
But if the picture was a true reflection of the current state of affairs —
bruised and battered but moved on —
why isn’t Beth in cabinet today?
She and the premier must still be on
the outs. The picture was probably

posed after all, at least on the premier’s
part.
Ever the anti-arse kisser, Beth doesn’t do herself any favours. Beth told
The Independent back in January that
she had definitely made the right decision by resigning from Danny’s cabinet. She stepped down as Health minister after the premier intervened to settle
a strike by the Victorian Order of
Nurses in Corner Brook (which falls in
the premier’s district of Humber West).
“I can tell you this: at the time I
thought I had made the right decision,
and in retrospect I definitely made the
right decision.”
Beth told him. Danny didn’t take it
well. He’s not over it yet.
Beth made the comment after being
asked about cracks that were appearing
in the Tory caucus. Loyola Sullivan,
Danny’s best buddy, walked away from
politics and their friendship. Danny
started tearing public strips off Harvey
Hodder, the Speaker. John Hickey was
up to his arse in auditor general trouble.
Ed Byrne resigned in shame. Kathie
Goudie was shamed.
Those were big cracks — Beth
being one of them.
I saw the non-posed campaign photo
of her and Danny as a sign of a healed
wound. A political hand extended, and

grasped. I was so convinced of a mended fence that four editions ago, in this
very column space, I predicted Beth
would be invited back into cabinet.
I was wrong. I either gave Danny too
much credit in terms of letting stuff go
or the premier valued Beth less in terms
of ministerial material than the 17 ministers he ended up picking.
No way, that could never happen —
Beth’s the best. (Sadly, Tom Osborne
apparently isn’t. It’s a long hard fall
from Health to deputy chair of committees. Tom didn’t do himself any favours
either by mentioning Loyola Hearn —
the big boss’s evil nemesis — is his
good bud.)
I venture to predict Beth won’t return
to cabinet until she finds a way to sidestep the premier’s slap and kiss his ring.
A pleasant placard pic doesn’t cut it.
She’s going to have to get serious about
sucking up to get back in the boss’s
good books.
Beth Marshall wasn’t the only prediction I got wrong. Bob Ridgley
reclaimed his seat of St. John’s North, I
got that part right, but he doesn’t
“remain a nobody.” Not at all —
Ridgley was named to the esteemed
post of parliamentary assistant to the
premier. Congratulations Bob on the
somebody status. You’ve exceeded

expectations.
I was on the money in predicting
Townie lawyer Jerome Kennedy would
be named Justice minister and Attorney
General. I got that one right. (Only time
will tell whether the marriage of Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie will make it.)
Beth and Jerome have one thing in
common in that they stand on their own
two feet — anti-arse kissers both.
Care to bet on how long Jerome lasts
in cabinet? He told the TV cameras this
week he plans to change his forward,
uncompromising nature, but I don’t see
that happening.
I certainly hope it doesn’t. Danny
needs to be challenged once in a while,
to keep him honest and off the power
trip. He needs to relax and let his cabinet ministers do more than smile for the
cameras. He should refrain from sacrificing them on the altar of his ego.
It’s hard to read what the premier’s
thinking half the time. He’s mad a lot,
that’s fair to say, and only seems to
crack a smile when reminded to do so.
The stress of being the big boss must
be wicked, but there’s no need for him
to shoulder the entire load by himself.
That’s what cabinets are for. That what
people like Beth Marshall are for.
Shame not to use them.
ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

YOUR VOICE

Roads aren’t
fit in ‘God’s country’
Dear editor,
I’m writing today with both good
and bad news. The good news is I
moved
back
(finally)
to
Newfoundland this month after a sixyear stint living in the U.S.A. and
Ontario. I even managed to convince
my mainland born and bred girlfriend
to move back to this rock with me.
For anyone who is living away, or has
in the past, I don’t need to tell you
how great it is to be back home. We
both feel very confident that we’ll be
able to “make a go of it” here in
God’s country, and that we are in the
right place at the right time.
Now for the bad news — what in
the hell is going on with the roads in
the St. John’s metro region? It seems
as though every second road has random strips of payment torn out and
left, most without warning signs, for
weeks on end before repair. On one
hand, it’s good to see there is some

level of road repair going on, but is
there any method to the city’s madness? Can the holes be re-paved on
each road as they are being taken out?
Can the city actually place bump
signs in front of the holes? Is it possible to work night shifts for road repair
when traffic flow is at its lowest? To
add insult to injury, it seems like
some of the holes that have been
filled in have left the roads in worse
shape than before the city tampered
with them.
I welcome anyone from city services to enlighten me, and the rest of the
capital city’s frustrated drivers, on
their strategy (or lack thereof) for
road repair in the city. As far I can
see they seem about as organized as
a child’s lemonade stand.
John Feltham (Speaking on behalf
of my continuously injured car),
St. John’s

When federal funds flow
NLers forget their woes
Dear editor,
There was nothing in the federal
throne speech to ease the burden on
seniors, such as a break from the high
price of medications, home heating
and health care. I also noticed not
much in there for youth. To further my
disgust — expanding Canada’s role
in Afghanistan, ignoring the Kyoto
Accord, strengthening Canada’s sovereignty in the world (starting with
mapping the arctic seabed), what a
farce!
Try more fishery patrols. Real
action on the nose and tail of our
Grand Banks would be a better starting point for Canadian sovereignty.
Stephen Harper realizes the Liberal
party is not going to oppose anything
he throws out there. Harper could
demand all Liberals stand on one leg
and squawk like chickens and get it at
this point. Stéphane Dion should have
challenged the prime minister on a lot
of the components of the Governor
General’s bedside story, better known
as the throne speech.
Dion would have gained a lot more
respect from Canadians if he stood up
to the fluff speech. Word has it that the

Liberals say they are not ready for an
election. But then just wait another
few months when Harper starts throwing around money like it’s growing on
trees. Then the Liberals will see how
ready they are.
Take our local MPs, Fabian
Manning and Loyola Hearn. You will
not have to look far to see federal
money peppered around their ridings.
People have short memories — when
the money flows they forget their
woes. The longer the Conservatives
are in power the more entrenched they
become.
So Dion, a word from a very concerned Canadian, the next time this
Harper bully picks a fight and throws
some arrogant, ridiculous suggestion
at you and your party, don’t stand
there and take it like a victim. Roll up
your sleeves and ask him to step
inside the election ring. So what if you
lose the fight? Harper will think twice
when he knows he will be challenged,
and you will have won a much bigger
prize — the respect and admiration of
the people for making a stand.
Ed Dowden,
Bay Bulls

Newfoundland has ‘chance of a lifetime’
to secure Alberta jobs
Dear editor,
As I read about the dispute between
Alberta and the oil companies over oil
royalties I can’t help but agree with
both sides of the argument.
On one hand, I agree with the government’s argument that they need
money for infrastructure to support the
flood of people showing up in the western province. Oil companies are making untold fortunes, and an extra $1.4
billion into the government’s pockets
from the giant money-making
machines isn’t going to break them.
Having said that, I can also see the
oil company’s argument that they
invest a large chunk of money back in
the province, creating very high-paying
jobs. In any event, the oil captains are
not amused at this recent demand for
more cash. They advised they will be
moving a lot of their business outside
Alberta.
The oil companies say they would
rather fly people in and out from their
home province than pay extra royalties
to government. This is where the
Newfoundland and Labrador government should step in. Danny Williams
should pounce on this opportunity. The

Alberta royalty regime is not going to
take effect until at least another year or
so. This presents a great opening for
our government to advertise us as a
place to do business. Newfoundland
has the chance of a lifetime to offer the
Alberta oil companies tax relief, and a
cheaper place to rent office space. Also,
the cost of living here is a lot easier on
the pocket book. For example, if a
warehouse manager is making $65,000
in Alberta, if his company sets up shop
here maybe the same manager could be
paid slightly less. All involved would
win. Oil companies would save on
taxes, as well as wages and the rental of
office and warehouse space. Newfoundlanders would win because we
would have a much higher pay rate
than normal. These days our government is bent on promoting us as the
choice destination for tourism. Why
not put the same energy into promoting
us as the choice destination for Alberta
oil jobs, because as sure as the sun will
rise tomorrow other provinces will
seize this golden opportunity.
Roger Linehan,
Goulds

The Independent welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be 300 words
in length or less and include full name, mailing address and daytime contact numbers.
Letters may be edited for length, content and legal considerations. Send your letters
in care of The Independent, P.O. Box 5891, Station C, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5X4
or e-mail us at editorial@theindependent.ca

Drop ‘heinous’ pictures of dead moose
Dear editor,
I believe our moose population (an
estimated 120,000 animals) has to be
culled. In light of the carnage these
huge 700-800 pound animals cause on
our highways, the sooner the better.
However, I think The Independent
and other print media should drop those
heinous photos of slaughtered moose.
Two of them appeared this week — one
in The Independent, and one in the
other weekend paper.
Both photos, taken by heavily
equipped hunters, showed the carnage
of the obvious brutal kill of these magnificent but dangerous animals.
A photo that accompanied Paul
Smith’s column in the Oct. 26 edition

featured the heinous picture of the carcass of a dead moose stuffed into the
back of one of those large and powerful
quad machines. It graphically showed
the moose’s hind legs cut off at the
knees (most likely its head was also
removed, although that was not clear)
and a hip and leg mercilessly thrown
onto the turf to the right of the hunter.
In the other weekend paper, a dead
moose’s head and neck (which obviously was hacked off by what appears
to be a large guillotine-type axe) was
graphically pictured propped up on an
old log and held by its antler by the
gun-toting hunter.
One might argue that I should be
pleased that at least two more of these

beasts have been removed from our
forests — perhaps helping to avoid
horrific accidents like the recent one on
the Outer Ring road in St. John’s.
While I agree with deleting them, I
wish that what these men consider “a
sport” would be kept to themselves
deep in the natural environs of
Newfoundland and Labrador. And I
wish they would leave the heinous pictures of their kill for their souvenir picture albums. I hope too, Mr. Editor, that
your quality weekly paper will decide
to file those types of horribly graphic
photos of dead moose into the garbage
bucket.
Bill Westcott,
Clarke’s Beach

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9

Smoke in my soul
T

here are smells so evocative
they can alter your mood,
change your outlook and lift
your spirits in an instant. No smell
does that for me more than wood
smoke. The smell of wood smoke at
dusk on a cold fall day, drifting
through the little town I live in, fills
me with peace. Corny but true.
The simple smell of burning spruce
calms me like nothing else. To me it
is a fundamental of life, a true perfume.
I don’t like the heat, I like the cold.
I get in trouble for this but I don’t like
summer when it’s really hot — especially in the evenings. I love the coming of fall and the cooler temperatures. I love the cold. I love warming
up. I love fire. I am a creature of the
North.
To me, wood smoke is the smell of
warmth, of day’s end, of family home
for the evening, of people getting
together. It’s the smell of security, of
relaxation, of comfort.
This incense can stir memories so
clear they take my breath away. The

IVAN MORGAN

Rant & Reason
faintest whiff draws a moment from
the past — burning leaves with my
grandparent’s gardener as a little boy,
a beach fire on a summer evening
when I was a teenager, a long ago
campfire with my rambunctious cub
troop. The acrid smell of burnt grass
recalls a fire we accidentally set when
we were kids, reminding me how big
an acre seems when you’re lying to
the cops.
My idea of a day well spent is lighting a big fire in the woods. Like so
many of my generation, my early
working life was tainted with unemployment. Days like that saved my
sanity.
I love my clothes when they are
full of the smell of wood smoke. Why
doesn’t someone sell a “snotty var”
scented fabric softener? I’d buy a

case. How odd when someone says
your clothes “stink” of wood smoke.
Says who?
It’s a weird society that demands
we render our homes utterly antiseptic, and then sells us manufactured
chemical smells. Whether in a bottle
or a dryer sheet, a spray can or a plugin contraption, we are told these are
the smells we want. In an age where
every human experience is considered a medical condition, we have
“aromatherapy” to make us feel better.
Smells as the enemy. Odours as
products. What a load.
Smells are essential to the soul, and
no one smell more so to me than
burning wood. I cannot imagine a
home without fire and its scents —
smoke, sap, ash.
There are hundreds of variations.
The sweet, sharp smell of birch
smoke in the deep cold of a still winter’s night takes me back to a childhood Christmas.
The oily smell of burning coal
mixed with wood, once the smell of

St. John’s, on a dark fall day brings
me out of the cold rain to a hot cup of
tea and a piece of shortbread in a
small, warm parlour overlooking the
wet street.
For a guy who quit smoking 15
years ago, smoke is so important to
me. My favourite drinks are Scotch,
with a hint of peat smoke, and a
strong Chinese tea called lapsang
souchong, which is cured with
smoke.
I’d still smoke cigars if I wasn’t
afraid of a nicotine relapse (I couldn’t
face quitting again), but I am glad for
those around me who do smoke them.
How I love the smell. I have bought
cigars and left them burning in the
ashtray just for the aroma.
I have a theory, wholly untested,
that the 250,000 years we spent as
hunter-gatherers living together in the
primal forest before civilization has
given us a genetic predilection for
fire. For a quarter of a million years it
was the centre of our little universe.
We need it. Fire is in our DNA. Sadly,
many of us have replaced the flicker

of the embers for that of the TV.
Funny, as there’s plenty to be learned
about oneself from an evening gazing
into a fire.
During a fierce February blizzard
several years back, the power out, I
sat in front of my glowing woodstove
sipping tea and thinking myself very
clever to be safe and warm, alone
with my dogs, my thoughts and the
faint smell of wood smoke.
For most of us fate dictates the last
thing we will ever smell will be the
industrial cleaner hospitals use.
Please God that’s not mine. I hope for
the faint tang of spruce smoke in the
cold air when I breathe my last.
P.S. To regular readers — Mea
maxima culpa. Last week I incorrectly referred to the contender for the
Democratic presidential nomination
in the United States as Obama
Barack. The man’s name is Barack
Obama. I seem to have a problem
with this, having to go back again to
check which was the right way while
writing this.
ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

YOURVOICE
Relation of people and state
always a problem in Newfoundland
Dear editor,
I would like to correct some errors in the position that Ivan Morgan attributes to me in his
article, What are we? in the Oct. 26 edition of
The Independent.
I certainly did not mean to endorse an idea
like “a true people” and complain that it failed
to emerge in Newfoundland. What I tried to
convey to him in our phone conversation is that
the relation of people and state has always been
a political problem here. In the very early days
of settlement, civil institutions and a public
sphere were restricted.
This is what historians sometimes refer to as
“retarded colonization.” It is not my phrase, as
Morgan seems to suggest. When a population
did emerge, the British complained the people
were like savages and banditti because they had
lived without a state for so long.
When the Amulree Commission investigated
our financial troubles in the 1930s, they concluded that these originated from deeper moral
problems that rendered the people unfit to rule
themselves and recommended the suspension of
the state and a program of civil re-education.

A step toward
universal
pharmacare
Dear editor,
Health consumers received some good
news after the Oct. 9 election when the
province announced a further expansion
of provincial drug plan benefits to cover
individuals and families making
$150,000 and less and who have no other
private or public drug coverage.
This is certainly a big step forward
toward universal pharmacare, and a clear
example of where pharmacare advocates
can and do make a difference.
Health Minister Ross Wiseman did not
favour one health consumer group over
another. Everybody — no matter if they
have
diabetes,
mental
illness,
Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, MS,
inflammatory bowel disease or any other
condition/disability — can receive partial coverage if their income falls below
the new limits. It is long overdue.
There’s still lots of work for pharmacare advocates. We have to press the
governments to implement a national
drug formulary so all Canadians have
access to the same medications. Then
there’s out-of-province drug expenses.
Will this province follow the lead of
provinces like Manitoba and Alberta and
cover drug expenses when people travel
outside the province? There is a question
concerning medical devices such as hearing aids, diabetic and respiratory supplies, oxygen and various prosthetic
devices. Will some or all of them be covered by our provincial drug plan or will
they be covered under another specialized health-care program?
Edward Sawdon,
St. John’s

In 1949, the people exercised their sovereignty by dissolving their state.
In the 1950s the Smallwood regime tried to
convince us that we could finally become a
people by dissolving ourselves in the Canadian
melting pot. In the 1970s, dissatisfaction with
this led many to believe that what made us a
people would never be found in Canada but had
already been achieved in the pre-Confederation
past. Now there is once again a growing sense
that we are unable to be a people in the
Canadian state.
My point was that the relation of state and
people has always been a problem in
Newfoundland. It is either something that is yet
to be achieved or resides in a no-longer-accessible past.
Rather than presenting this as some kind of
failing on our part, I was suggesting that it has
allowed us a healthy skepticism toward the very
idea of “the people” as a collective happily representing itself in a state.
Stephen Crocker,
St. John’s

Every day three more
people are diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis.
Together, we can stop it.
55,000 to 75,000 Canadians live with MS,
one of the highest rates in the world.

MS is the most common neurological
disease affecting young Canadians today,
and its effects last a lifetime.
Women are three times more likely
than men to develop the disease.
There are treatments,
but no cure for MS - yet.

Together, we will end MS.

1.800.268.7582 www.mssociety.ca

7e love celebrations too.

‘Somewhat amused’
Editor’s note: The following letter was printed in
the Oct. 27 edition of The Globe and Mail, with
a copy forwarded to The Independent.
Dear editor,
I was somewhat amused by your Oct. 26 editorial, Premier (Ed) Stelmach’s fair call, to substantially increase Alberta’s share of oil rev-

enues. When Premier Danny Williams looked for
a fair share of oil revenues for our province your
editorial compared him to the Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. I am sure you will have no difficulty rationalizing these two positions for your
readers.
Burford Ploughman,
St. John’s

‘He was a giant’
Dear editor,
Re: Bailey fought for his town, an article by Pam
Pardy Ghent in the Oct. 26 edition of The
Independent.
To quote Kathy Dunderdale, “He was a wonderful man.” That he was, that he was. We came to
know Lou Bailey when he lived in Coley’s Point,
and was a partner in West Coast Marine
Electronics. My husband worked with Lou, and he
lived with us for a short time. Lou hated what he
called the “office stuff.” His joy was out on the
road doing his job. Many a longliner he wired in
Port-de-Grave, but his work place was the whole
province. He was so good at his job that he was in
demand everywhere. He might be in Port aux
Choix in the morning, and on a helicopter to

Labrador in the afternoon. Physically, Lou was a
small man, short and slight of build. At that time,
30 years ago, he had long hair, a full salt-and-pepper beard, twinkling eyes, and the warmest, sweetest smile you ever saw. A “hippie” marine electronics specialist — who would ever guess? But
Lou was only small physically. In all the ways that
count, he was a giant. He was a generous, compassionate, kind, upright, and decent man. Our whole
family was shocked and saddened to hear of Lou’s
passing. We have lost someone that we had loved
as a brother and a friend. Our sincere condolences
to Lou’s wife, his family, and the people of the
Town of Burin. We will all miss him.
Ada Bradbury,
Upper Island Cove

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 11

IN CAMERA

Exposure

Self

Rosa, Beachy Cove

Craig, Quidi Vidi Gut.

Cowhead

Award-winning photographer
Sheilagh O’Leary will debut
her first book, Human Natured,
Nov. 8 in St. John’s. Reporter
Mandy Cook visited with the
artist for an intimate account of
how the personalized and deeply spiritual collection of Newfoundland nudes came into being.

Diana, Savage Creek

A

s a fierce denizen of the
island of Newfoundland,
exposed as it is to the
wind and wet of the
heaving North Atlantic,
photographer Sheilagh O’Leary is forever fascinated by the wild spaces in
which she operates and the people who
dare to venture there with her, camera
in hand.
For the past 17 years, O’Leary has
pushed into the relatively unexplored

territory of photographing the
Newfoundland nude. Integrating
humans and nature in black and white
has become her overriding artistic purpose in a place whose sparse landscape,
as she writes in the introduction of her
book, forces us all out into the open.
This openness is at the heart of every
photograph found inside the pages of
the book, pleasingly square like the
medium-sized format of the negatives
O’Leary produces with her old-school

Bronica 645 manual camera.
In order to distill an emotional
moment in time and immortalize it in
film, a trust must be built between
shooter and subject.
“To me, that’s the ultimate act, is
leaving yourself open to exposure,” she
says. “If you don’t take those chances,
then we’re just not living this life … I
think that’s my philosophy in general,
weaved in and out of my personal life
and that’s how it manifests in a con-

Andrew, Witless Bay Barrens

crete way in an art form. I need to take
those chances. The people who have
modelled for me needed to take those
chances too.”
Bodies of various shapes, sizes, ages
and stages of development appear, cradled by the crevice of a rock, balanced
on the seam of a sand dune, curled up
like a baby with beach rocks superimposed over the skin, or reclining, heavily pregnant, on a bed. The images have
been gathered since the beginning of

O’Leary’s photographic career, a visual
record of her body of work and evolving eye. The collection of images is not
just about artistic pursuit, she says, but
the connections born and cemented
during the process — and the trust necessary from both sides to get there.
“I actually feel more vulnerable
when I’m shooting because I really
respect the fact the person is doing it,”
she says. “I feel their vulnerability. I
take that on. Because in order for me to

be able to get what I get from the models, I have to leave myself open too.”
To fully appreciate what she asks of
her subjects, O’Leary composed a
series of self-portraits — two of which
appear in the book, one layered with
ragged rock transparencies. Laughing
that she’s still in control of the final
edit, she says putting herself on the
other side of the lens allowed her valuable insight into the emotionally sensitive process of photographing the nude.

Calling it a “freeing” experience, she
says it was funny, too.
“It was more comical than anything.
I had a self-timer, so I used to run like
hell.”
At the centre of O’Leary’s photographs is her fixation on the psychological aspect of human nature and the
spiritual soul within the physical form.
An avowed people-watcher, it is not the
perceived attractiveness of an individual she is compelled by — it is the

strength of the character inside the
body, the spark behind the eyes.
“It’s just what carries us around, but
it is not what makes up who we are.”
Sheilagh O’Leary will launch Human
Natured at Bianca’s, Water Street, St.
John’s, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. She will also hold
book launches in Toronto and Iceland
in the coming months.
mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

12 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

LIFE STORY

‘It feels very empty’
Book chronicling Matthew Churchill’s life and death — and the devastating aftermath — to be released
By Brian Callahan
The Independent
MATTHEW CHURCHILL
1989-2005

T

wo-and-a-half years after their only
child was struck and killed on the
Bauline Line by a hit-and-run driver,
a book chronicling the resulting upheaval
and devastation in Rod and Desma
Churchill’s lives is due to be launched in St.
John’s.
Matthew Churchill’s mom won’t be
there, however. And Rod may attend
briefly, but only to pick up a copy.
“We’ve sort of been advised not to attend
but I may go, just to get our own copy of the
book,” Churchill tells The Independent.
“I’ll talk to our lawyer just to see if I should
put in a presence.”
The launch of Tom Badcock’s book,
Grieving Hearts Talk: The Matthew R.
Churchill Story, is set for 2-4 p.m. on Nov.
3 at The Hub on Merrymeeting Road in St.
John’s.
Rod Churchill says working with the
author was both therapeutic and traumatic.
He’s satisfied with the final product.
“It opens wounds, obviously,” says
Churchill. “We had to pour our hearts out
every time we got together to work on it. I
can’t remember how many meetings we
had with Tom, but that was tough. There
was more than one night that he left dabbin’
his own eyes.”
Matthew was 15 when he died on March
28, 2005. He was with one of his best

friends, Greg Thorne, when he was struck
by a car driven by Robert Parsons. After an
exhaustive court trial, Parsons was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident where
he knew, or should have known, someone
was seriously injured or killed.
Parsons served less than six months in
jail and is now free on probation.

“It’s tough seeing
everybody else
moving on.”
Rod Churchill
Churchill says it’s difficult to see others
moving on with their life while he and
Desma struggle day to day.
“We’re still sort of stuck in that night (of
March 28, 2005),” says Churchill, a longtime St. John’s minor hockey coach and
board member.
“It’s tough seeing everybody else moving
on. This year I’m coaching some of
Matthew’s best friends in hockey. A lot of
those kids — and Matthew — would’ve
finished playing midget last year. A lot of
them, I had them up on the ice the other
night. They’re juvenile age now. They were
there talking about their graduations and
going to work, going to MUN …
“Matthew should be doing those things,

too.”
Churchill says his wife still has difficulty
getting through each day.
“I found I’ve carried Desma since Day 1.
She’s still struggling like you wouldn’t
believe. She’s had to go on medication she
never wanted to take, just to get through the
day … from the time she wakes till it’s time
to go back to bed at night.”
Rod, ironically, finds some comfort in his
job.
“One of us still has to work. And I find it
is a big stress reliever for me,” says
Churchill, a professional geoscientist who
works as a lands and operations manager
for Altius Minerals. “For most people work
causes stress. But when you compare my
personal stress with my professional stress,
it’s no contest.”
Churchill says he and Desma discussed
having another child, and even moving into
another house, but there are good reasons
why they have done neither.
“We discussed (another child) within a
couple of months of Matthew’s passing,
actually. But I think initially it was a reflex
action, where suddenly we never had a
child to parent any more,” he says, adding
Matthew was delivered by caesarian section and another difficult child birth cannot
be ruled out.
“And also, we didn’t want another child
to just be a replacement.”
In the meantime, the void remains.
“It feels very empty. There’s no other
way to describe it — emptiness. It’s with
you 24 hours a day.”
brian.callahan@theindependent.ca

Rod Churchill displays a family photo in court.

Paul Daly/The Independent

Bennett ATV: great
selection and on-site service

A

aron Bennett and Rob Squires say
they’re proud of the friendly and reliable service Bennett ATV has been able
to provide local customers since they opened
for business almost four years ago.
“You really need to set yourself apart from
the rest in any business,” Bennett says. “But in
the recreational vehicle business you have to go
beyond quality products and concentrate on
what you can offer along with that.”
At Bennett ATV, it’s the expertise and dedication of the staff and the on-site quality product
servicing that makes the difference.
While the products sold at Bennett ATV are
“used,” Bennett says the word doesn’t paint the
entire picture.
“When you come in here, you can purchase a
recreational vehicle that still has a full warranty, something that has low mileage and the best

part is you save anywhere between $3,000 and
$6,000.”
Buying from Bennett also means you’re
guaranteed to purchase something lien-free and
registered in the province of Newfoundland and
Labrador. “We take care of all the details and do
all the checking before we put something up for
sale,” Squires says.
Bennett ATV also offers customers the option
of buying online, and they will deliver islandwide.
“You can get up, grab a coffee and shop for a
snowmobile online,” Bennett says. The price is
listed, right there for you to see. “Just use your
Visa, and we’ll bring it to you.”
After the purchase is made, Bennett says staff
maintain a relationship with customers by providing service on the products they sell.
While the online option is available to

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 13

Open mic fright

YOURVOICE

Student involvement, not Dean’s singing, will raise school spirit

O

pen mic night is one of few true
student traditions at Memorial
University. Every Wednesday students swing by the Breezeway bar to ease
the mid-week stress to the sounds of
acoustic guitars.
It’s a great chance for those people who
love singing in the shower to see what
people really think of their pipes. In fact,
Rex Goudie was a regular long before
Canadian Idol brought his voice to millions. Back then, I’ve been told, girls didn’t even find him that sexy.
Some people play original music —
which takes major guts — but most stick
to guaranteed crowd-pleasers like Oasis’
Wonderwall, or Tom Petty’s You Don’t
Know How It Feels.
Hearing the same people play the same
tunes every single week sounds boring,
but it’s strangely comforting. It’s a bit like
going to a party with friends and retelling
all the best stories from the past, which is
absolutely necessary before new stories
can be made.
But last week, just as the bar was
unwinding from night classes and chatting
up cute classmates with lyrics borrowed
from some sweet song, the mood was
interrupted.
It was school spirit week across campus
— dubbed “I Love MUNdays” to avoid
the taboo term school spirit — and Dean
of Student Affairs Lilly Walker sprang
onto the stage with her band of colleagues
(The Dean Team might be a decent band
name) to sing us students a tune.
Lyrics were handed out to every table
so we’d know the words and could sing
along, but I’m sure the dean will forgive
us for not belting out lines like Tell me
why I love MUNdays followed by some-

JOHN RIETI

Notes in
the margin
thing or other about studying so hard.
I won’t go all Simon Cowell on
Walker’s performance or anything, but I
will report that my friend stuffed a pair of
headphones dangerously far into his ears
and yelled at me to tell him when it was
over.
One song and the publicity stunt was
done. The big cameras stopped flashing.
The Dean Team left the building — on a
rather flat note, I might add. It’s a shame
because they missed a great performance
from two b’ys who brought an accordion
and passion for traditional music along to
the bar. Also, possibly for the first time,
there was some hip-hop on stage and even
a hilarious Tenacious D (Jack Black’s
band) cover.
Walker and I have had several conversations about school spirit at Memorial,
and I think we both agree there’s shockingly little of it. I also think we have differing views on how to build it.
In my experience, students crave a
sense of closeness, authenticity and freedom to do their own thing. In its own way
that’s what open mic is all about. Walker’s
attempt to use it as a spirit-building exercise changed the feeling of the event for a
bit, making it taste more like cheese than
cheap beer.
That said, at least she’s trying, which is
more than the majority of students can
say. Student turnout for special events,
sports games and guest lectures is typical-

Rob Squires outside Bennett ATV, 181 Mundy Pond Rd.

Bennett ATV customers, Bennett
admits coming in and checking things
out in person is always the best way to
shop.
“You can ask questions, see and feel
and sit on what you are buying that
way,” he says.
Whatever the shopping method,
Bennett swears the end result is the
same — a happy customer.
“I started off this business in my back
garden, as a hobby, just fixing up old
bikes and stuff and selling them, but
then it grew pretty fast,” he says. He
knows recreational vehicles, and so do
many
Newfoundlanders
and
Labradorians. There is a huge market in
this province for the quality used products they sell.
“People are always looking for a
deal, and that’s what we offer here,”
Squires says. He spends a lot of time
talking with customers, and says he’s
really gotten a feel for what they need
and want.
“You have to balance what they
want, with what they want it for, all the
while respecting their budget,” he says.
Getting to know who walks in the door,
and getting to know them well, is
Squires’ specialty and passion.
Bennett says it’s common for recreational vehicle owners to upgrade what
they have and, for that reason, trade-ins
are welcome.

“I’m an avid snowmobiler and I also
know quads, so having a large selection
is important to me,” he says. “I work
hard at having something that will
interest anyone from 19 to 90, for the
beginner on up to the experienced driver.”
Bennett currently has a large selection of ’07 snowmobiles in stock and
has a tractor-trailer arriving with new
used products weekly. He also sells trail

ly low, and while there are many student
organizations and societies on campus, it
tends to be the same kids getting involved.
This year’s I Love MUNdays week
spent a lot of money on its efforts to get
more students to take part in events.
Colourful cardboard schedules and cards
were distributed all through the university
centre, but most were thrown out with
lunch refuse. Some events, like the “Rant
Like Rick” contest and the “Ingenuity
Challenge” offered up $1,000 to the winners.
Although the cash was attractive, the
most successful event — Rant Like Rick
— attracted students because the competitors lobbied their friends (largely through
Facebook groups and YouTube videos) to
come cheer them on. The event was also a
chance to show off the University
Centre’s new student space, a massive
renovation paid for by Walker’s office.
It’s up to regular students to raise
school spirit. Really, until they decide to
support their university I don’t predict I
Love MUNdays to top the charts anytime
soon.
Walker stormed back into the bar on
Friday and, perhaps channelling her frustration with apathetic students, slammed
student union director James Farrell in a
sumo-wrestling match for charity.
So while she should leave open mic to
the students, at least the dean of student
affairs recorded one smash hit in the
Breezeway.
John Rieti is a fifth-year student at
Memorial University majoring in English
and minoring in geography, aiming to do
journalism after graduation.
john.rieti@theindependent.ca

Nicholas Langor/The Independent

passes and accessories as requested.
“I just focus on providing local
friendly service and that seems to be
working,” Bennett says.
For more information on products
and services available from Bennett
ATV drop by and visit in person at 181
Mundy Pond Rd, contact the store by
phone at 579-2323 or 1-877-579-2323,
or visit www.bennettatv.com.
pamelamichpardy@yahoo.com

Loyola Hearn

Paul Daly/The Independent

Is Hearn prepared
to save the fishery?
Dear editor,
Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola
Hearn’s article in the Oct. 14 edition
of The Telegram, Getting things done
for Canadian fisheries at NAFO, gave
a glimpse into the lack of understanding the federal Department of
Fisheries and Oceans has in our fisheries, and the personal agendas of
some NAFO-member countries. In
particular, as indicated in the article,
Canadian sovereignty threatened on
Grand Banks, in the Oct. 26th issue of
The Independent, changes now
sought by NAFO to the international
convention will open the possibility
of foreign fisheries enforcement
inside the 200-mile limit.
As well, an amendment for a new
NAFO voting procedure will require
an agreement by two-thirds of the
membership, instead of the old 50 per
cent, which will make it virtually

impossible to get the required votes to
stop illegal and overfishing off our
coast. The voting countries are the
ones who are breaking the rules, and
as any knowledgeable person in our
province
knows
(except
Confederates) foreign fishing is the
factor preventing the recovering of
our fishery.
The programs the federal government has enacted to correct and help
the fishery are rigid and are not helping — and they are wrong.
I ask Loyola Hearn just one question: for the sake of your own people,
the fisher people you grew up with,
and for the sake of their 500-year-old
marine culture, will you change the
federal fisheries rules to help save
them?
Phil Earle,
Carbonear

ore than eight months after 28year-old Chrissy Newman was
found murdered in her Airport
Heights home, an arrest has yet to be
made.
“There’s nothing new to report, the
matter is still under investigation,”
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
spokesperson Paul Davis says.
Newman was living with her 16-

month-old daughter Ireland when she
was found dead on Jan 21. It was reported her throat had been cut.
Yvonne Harvey, Chrissy Newman’s
mother, has been vocal in her impatience with the RNC’s attempts to find
her daughter’s killer.
In a May interview with The
Independent, Harvey said she was concerned previous wrongful convictions

by the provincial Justice system are
hamstringing the investigation.
“I’m not prepared to let my daughter
become another victim of a faulty system,” she said, before meeting with
police in the spring.
Antonio Lamer, a former Canadian
Supreme Court justice, headed a 2003
judicial inquiry into the wrongful convictions of Greg Parsons, Randy Druken

and Ronald Dalton. The Lamer inquiry
blamed the RNC for tunnel vision in
investigations.
“I think if we start comparing the past
with what’s happening right now, and
not making a move on things a little bit
quicker, or waiting until everything is
pretty much 100 per cent, then I think
we’re being victimized again,” Harvey
said. “Only the pendulum has swung the

other way.”
Newman and her husband Raymond
had split up in the months before her
death. The media reported Newman had
endured spousal abuse and was planning
to return to Ottawa, her childhood home,
with her child when she was killed.
Harvey could not be reached this
week for comment.
— Ivan Morgan

Opportunities
Research Manager - IBES

Director for Sustainable Development Round Table Support

Permanent

Permanent

Institute for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability (IBES), Sustainable Development and Strategic Science Branch, Department of Environment and Conservation
Pleasantville, St. John’s, NL

DUTIES: Responsible for the management, co-ordination and general operation of a biodiversity and ecosystem science and resource sustainability student research program, including
co-ordination of logistics and managing operational aspects of research partnerships; works
in close collaboration with Memorial University researchers and students to develop project
proposals; assists in the development of an outreach and recruitment package aimed at
graduate and undergraduate students as potential IBES candidates; assists in developing
strategies to increase awareness of the IBES model and promotes the role of IBES in activities related to scientiﬁc issues, concerns, and on graduate student research progress with
respect to matters of conservation; networks with staff of Sustainable Development and
Strategic Science Branch, the Department of Environment and Conservation as well as staff
from other relevant government departments and agencies, academic ofﬁcials, students and
non-government organizations to facilitate, encourage and develop research partnerships;
provides direction on project design and reporting of research results; determines/develops
linkages between concurrently running undergraduate and graduate projects to facilitate
awareness of Honours and Graduate research opportunities; reports on student programs
and reviews project proposals to ensure scientiﬁc integrity and assists with the preparation
of internal reports, scientiﬁc publications and related documents, including the synthesis
of multiple graduate research projects, and submits annual progress reports to the Department.

DUTIES: Principally responsible for the leadership, design, coordination, implementation, assessment and reporting of a system for monitoring and evaluating Sustainable Development
programs, policies and initiatives; provides direction, leadership and supervision for the
interpretation of Sustainable Development legislation and the development and implementation of strategies, policies, and programs, speciﬁcally a Strategic Sustainable Development
Management Plan and a Provincial Sustainable Development Indication Program as called
for in government’s policy agenda and per the Sustainable Development Act; as part of the
larger Sustainable Development and Strategic Science outreach program, the incumbent
oversees appropriate efforts to assist the Sustainable Development Round Table; develops
and considers mechanisms to consider and arbitrate public concerns respecting Sustainable Development approaches and address requirements emanating from the Round Table
dialogue with industry and the public; identiﬁes and advances new initiatives, primarily in the
policy arena, but that encompass the broad range of factors, both political and scientiﬁc, as
well as social, that must be reached, understood, monitored and integrated to ensure effective progress in Sustainable Development. The incumbent functions as a primary spokesperson for policy and administrative issues relative to Sustainable Development Round
Table activities to the Sustainable Development and Strategic Science Branch; develops,
reviews and ensures policy development on diverse aspects of Sustainable Development and
ensures Round Table programs and activities remain consistent with government’s Sustainable Development legislation and initiative; participates in major colloquia and conferences,
and other signiﬁcant forums on Sustainable Development, and presents papers representing
the provincial program to various audiences; this position will help prioritize and affect the
various Sustainable Development Round Table activities and undertakings; the incumbent
will ensure an effective working relationship between the Sustainable Development Round
Table, other units of the Sustainable Development and Strategic Science Branch and relevant
government departments, as well as the wide range of industry and public participants in the
Sustainable Development initiative.

QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge of scientiﬁc methodology including proposal, design, and
analysis stages; preferably in a socio-ecological, biodiversity, and/or resource sustainability
context, and research partnering and funding agencies; including academic, government, and
industry sources is essential. Candidates must be proactive and able to work independently,
provide supervision to staff, manage multiple projects, and establish and maintain strong
working relationships with a variety of organizations and the general public. Candidates must
also possess exceptional organizational, analytical and research skill as well as excellent
written and oral communication skills. Proﬁciency with computer applications is essential.
These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through graduation from university with a
minimum of a Master of Science degree supplemented with related experience in program or
project management.
SALARY:
$49,204.00-$63,965.00 (HL-20)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.M(p).07.08.0245-P
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY MAIL, Fax or Email to:
Mail:

QUALIFICATIONS: An in-depth knowledge of policies and issues relating to Sustainable Development is required. Candidate must have well developed leadership skills, be proactive,
work independently, provide supervision to staff, manage multiple projects, and establish
and maintain strong working relationships with members of the Sustainable Development
Round Table, provincial government departments, a variety of organizations and the general
public. Candidate must also possess exceptional organizational, written and oral communication skills. These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through graduation from
university with a MSc. (minimum) or Ph.D (preferred) in political and/or social sciences with
considerable related experience in directing multiple projects to integrate diverse knowledge
sectors as well as organizational senior management and leadership.
SALARY:
$63,852.00-$83,008.00 (HL-27)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.D(P).07.08.247-P
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY MAIL, Fax or Email to:
Mail:

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants. Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so may
result in a candidate being screened out.
Applications should be received before the close of business on the closing date – late applications with explanation may be considered. For additional information on this position, call
709-729-3593 or 709-729-0037.

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants. Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so may
result in a candidate being screened out.

Tender

Applications should be received before the close of business on the closing date – late applications with explanation may be considered. For additional information on this position,
call 709-729-3593 or 709-729-0037.

Tenders will be received up to the dates and times indicated below for the following projects:
A/PROJECT # 118-07PHO – Construct a concrete median on the St. John’s Outer Ring Rd.
between Topsail Rd. & Thorburn Rd., St. John’s, NL
PURCHASE PRICE: $22.80
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2007 @ 12:00 NOON
B/PROJECT # 410605002 – Over-cladding Arts & Culture Centre, Stephenville, NL.
PURCHASE PRICE: $22.80
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2007 @3:00PM
C/PROJECT # CLEA10208 – Cleaning services, Forestry Building, Gambo, NL.
SPECIFICATION AVAILABLE @THE SITE BRIEFING ONLY : NOVEMBER 08, 2007 @10.30AM.
PURCHASE PRICE: $N/A
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2007 @3:00PM
Upon receipt of the purchase price indicated above, (NON REFUNDABLE, HST INCLUDED)
plans and speciﬁcations may be obtained from Tendering and Contracts, Ground Floor, East
Block, Confederation Building, P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NL. AIB 4J9, Ph# 709-729-3786,
Fax# 709-729-6729 and viewed at the ofﬁces of the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association. Tenders addressed to the Deputy Minister of Transportation and Works
must be delivered to Tendering and Contracts at the address above and be submitted on
forms and in sealed envelopes provided, clearly marked as to the contents. Tenders will be
opened immediately after the tender closing time. The Department does not bind itself to
accept the lowest or any tender.
Hon. John Hickey
Minister
Transportation & Works

Correction Notice of Application
TAKE NOTICE that MERASHEEN MUSSEL FARM INC. (Not MARINUS BIO RESOURCES INC. as
previously advertised) has applied under the provisions of the Aquaculture Act, RSN, 1990,
Chapter A-13, for the issuance of an Aquaculture Licence to OPERATE A COMMERCIAL BLUE
MUSSLES AQUACULTURE SITE, near CLATTICE HARBOUR, PLACENTIA BAY in the Province of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
More speciﬁc information about the location and general nature of the proposed aquaculture
project is available from the Aquaculture Registrar, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture,
58 Hardy Ave, P.O. Box 679, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, A2A 2K2.
Unless the Aquaculture Registrar receives written objection to the application within 20 working days from the date of this publication, no further consultation will take place.
Dated St. John’s, this 9th day of October, 2007.
Thomas G. Rideout
Minister

Tender
Tenders will be received up to the dates and times indicated below for the following projects:
A/PROJECT # 117-07PMO – Supply of pre-wet/anti-icing salt for the de-icing program for the
Department of Transportation and Works for the winter of 2007-2008, NL.
PURCHASE PRICE: $N/A
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2007 @ 12:00 NOON
B/PROJECT # 119-07PAR – Maintenance of Natuashish Airstrip & related facilities, Labrador, NL.
PURCHASE PRICE: $N/A
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2007 @3:00PM
Upon receipt of the purchase price indicated above, (NON REFUNDABLE, HST INCLUDED)
plans and speciﬁcations may be obtained from Tendering and Contracts, Ground Floor, East
Block, Confederation Building, St. John’s, NL. AIB 4J9, Ph# 709-729-3786, Fax# 709-7296729, the Regional Director, Transportation & Works, Building # 86, Happy Valley Goose Bay,
Labrador, A0P 1E0, Ph# 709-896-7840, Fax# 709-896-5513, (Project B Only) and viewed at
the ofﬁcers of the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association. Tenders addressed
to the Deputy Minister of Transportation & Works must be delivered to Tendering and Contracts at the address above and be submitted on forms and in sealed envelopes provided,
clearly marked as to the contents. Tenders will be opened immediately after the tender closing time. The Department does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender.
Hon. Dianne C. Whalen
Minister
Transportation & Works

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2-8, 2007 — PAGE 15

Business
for change
Torbay woman at helm of Mountain Equipment Co-op,
one of Canada’s largest, and greenest, businesses
By Stephanie Porter
The Independent

T

orbay resident Linda Bartlett
laughs and says the Mountain
Equipment Co-op board of directors doesn’t come close to fitting a standard business model. In fact, not much
of the organization does.
“Most businesses, when they have
board meetings, they sort of go in and
out, their primary focus is profit,” she
says. “But because MEC is a co-op, we
tend to attract people who are very passionate … they’re not driven by money,
it’s more about caring. The board meetings are two days long, and the e-mails
that go back and forth and the work …
people can’t relate to it.
“It’s not a normal board! But we’re
doing some wonderful things. In terms
of a business, it’s the most trusted brand
in Canada.”
And it makes money to boot. Bartlett
says Mountain Equipment Co-op,
beloved by outdoors enthusiasts for the
wide range of apparel and activity-specific gear — everything you need to go
hiking, camping, skiing, rock-climbing,
snowshoeing, cycling, watersports …
— will likely top $250 million in sales
next year.
There are currently 2.7 million members (members pay a one-time fee of $5
and are on for life), most in Canada.
Over 17,000 Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians have signed up.
There are 11 Mountain Equipment
Co-op stores in Canada, from Victoria to
Halifax, but most products are bought
online or through catalogues.
Bartlett figures she’s been a member
for going on 20 years. The eldest of
three girls, she has early memories of
heading to Pippy Park with her father,
long before today’s groomed trails, and
making ski paths of their own.
Bartlett has been president of the
provincial canoe association, director of
the kayak association. She’s canoed
most of the major rivers in
Newfoundland and Labrador, and celebrated the millennium with a kayak trip
in Nepal.
“I have always been very active in the
outdoors,” she says. “It’s not a luxury
for me; it’s a necessity. It grounds me,
takes the static out of my head.”
Bartlett was the first woman from this
province to receive a degree in agriculture from McGill University in
Montreal, and she spent years working
with the province to develop the adventure tourism industry. She still works in
the Tourism Department by day.

Six years ago, she was elected to the
nine-member board of Mountain
Equipment Co-op. She’s now in her
fourth as chair, and works closely with
the company’s CEO and management.
Her volunteer position brings considerable work — flights to Vancouver every
six weeks for board meetings; evenings
and weekends online and on the phone.
The primary function of the business
is, of course, to sell quality products at
good prices. But what inspires and
focuses Bartlett is that the values driving
the 36-year-old operation mirror her
own.
“Early on, our members told us environmental conservation and social justice were important,” she says. “It’s a
really neat organization, we’ve embedded sustainability in every step of what
we do.”
She talks about the “four pillars” of
the co-op: product sustainability, ethical
sourcing (products are made in factories
where workers’ rights are respected),
green operations (from the catalogue to
environmentally friendly buildings), and
community involvement. The co-op
owns and protects land, encourages
learning, fitness and outdoor appreciation, and has been known to return profits to its patrons.
One per cent of gross sales are directed into grant programs, available for
non-profit groups focused on conservation and outdoor access. In
Newfoundland and Labrador, the East
Coast Trail Association and the Avalon
Nordic Ski Club have been recent recipients. “That’s how we reach out to members who don’t have stores nearby,” says
Bartlett.
Bartlett says Mountain Equipment
Co-op will be the largest co-op in the
world by 2008.
“It’s a big organization and because
it’s a co-op, it’s really complex,” she
says. “We want to make money, but not
too much money. We want to be innovative, but we’re a conservative culture.
The regular business models don’t fit.
“We’re value-driven, so everything’s
got to be transparent, ethical, accountable … our decisions, if we’ve got to get
new flooring for a building, we have to
look at one that’s environmentally
friendly.
“We’re walking the talk and showing
that sustainability and a healthy bottom
line can happen. Every government is
dreaming about this, every business is
talking about it. We’re doing it.”
In six years, Bartlett says, she’s
See “Change,” page 19

Linda Bartlett

Paul Daly/The Independent

Surviving the perfect storm

With proper and creative planning, businesses can make it through the human resources crunch

“W

ho will eventually
buy my business if I
can’t even find staff
to work there?” A business owner
recently posed this question at a human
resources seminar hosted by the St.
John’s Board of Trade. And he wasn’t
the only one in the room facing an HR
crunch.
The shortage of labour is touching
businesses of all sizes and sectors.
We’re hearing it from an increasing
number of board of trade member businesses, small, medium and large.
Concern over not being able to find and
hold onto enough people to fill positions is, without question, the most
common hot-button issue right now.

CATHYBENNETT

Board of Trade
Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t
alone in this. The Conference Board of
Canada predicts a national labour shortage of one million people by the year
2020. Economic forecasting company
Global Insights says the labour shortage will reduce real GDP growth from
three per cent to less than two per cent
annually, costing the Canadian economy billions of dollars in lost output.
In a speech to the St. John’s Board of

Trade earlier this year, Bank of Canada
Governor David Dodge said the biggest
threat to the Canadian economy is this
looming “perfect storm.”
In this province, employers see the
dark clouds looming overhead.
The one-two punch of natural population change and outmigration is contributing to what some call a crisis.
Labour shortages are not new, but it
does seem as though they’re becoming
far more widespread and glaring. And
many local employers say the situation
will continue to get worse.
Five years ago, we lamented the
shortage of skilled workers. Today,
those skill gaps in our labour market
are still there, but there are noticeable

shortages across the board in the economy, from the highly skilled to the lesser skilled workers.
Talk to a restaurant that’s having
trouble finding not only a well-qualified chef, but also kitchen staff to wash
dishes, and you’re reminded of how
deep and wide the gaps are.
This troubles me, not just as president of the board of trade or a business
owner, but as a proud Newfoundlander
excited about the future and the opportunities ahead. We may miss out if we
fail to prepare ourselves.
I liken it to a funnel. In the past, with
the wide end of the funnel up, we
poured our most valuable resource,
people, into the job bucket. There were

lots to pick from, and they were spilling
over the side. We narrowed our choices
down to the ideal candidate from a
large pool.
Today things have changed. Turn the
funnel over — we now have small
numbers of applicants to fill many positions.
At the firm and at the policy-making
level, what do we do to cope?
There are a few broad steps we need
to take.
First, we have to do more to raise
awareness among businesses, not just
of the changing labour market reality,
but of the gravity of the resulting
See “Not,” page 19

Applications are invited from qualiﬁed and interested
individuals for the purpose of developing an eligibility list of
qualiﬁed candidates for temporary Communications Technician vacancies with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

DUTIES: The Director of Financial Services is an integral part
of the Corporate Services Branch within the Department
of Education. The successful candidate will be responsible
for providing leadership, advice, direction and policy for the
evaluation, control, management and administration of all
ﬁnancial aspects of the Province’s primary, elementary,
secondary and post-secondary systems and the Private
Training Corporation. The incumbent will be responsible for
participating in collective bargaining functions for School
Boards’ student assistants and support staff, as well as
being responsible for determining School Boards’ annual
operating grant allocations and the annual budget for School
Board owned and operated busing systems. The incumbent
will be responsible for the assessment of ﬁnancial reporting systems and the analysis of ﬁnancial reports submitted
by School Boards, Memorial University, College of the North
Atlantic, Private Training Institutions, Public Information
and Libraries Resources Board, Atlantic Provinces, Special
Education Authority and other departmentally funded entities.
This position has direct responsibility for the operation and
policy related matters associated with the administration of
the teacher’s, payroll and pension system and is responsible
for the co-ordination of the IT Departmental Planning and
Service Delivery Committee. This position is also responsible
for the Central registry of the Department; the general operations of the Department; and undertakes special ﬁnancial
and operational reviews as required by Executive.

DUTIES: Reporting to a senior police ofﬁcer, you will receive
non-emergency and emergency, including 911 telephone
calls, for assistance. Based on relevant information obtained
from the caller, the call for service is prioritized and entered
into a computer database for assignment to a police ofﬁcer
for follow-up. You will document and record information as required, perform information searches for police ofﬁcers and
authorized personnel via several police computer systems.
In addition to call taker and query duties, there is a requirement to operate the operational or administrative radio
consoles. This would include dispatching calls for service in
accordance with policy, coordinating additional assistance
as necessary and maintaining the current status of all police
units as reported by the ofﬁcer. The work environment has
periods of intense activity requiring technicians to exercise
independent judgment, and exhibit tact and diplomacy. Technicians are expected to work with a high degree of independence and initiative when handling calls. Shift work will be
required: 24/7, including statutory holidays and weekends.
QUALIFICATIONS: Considerable experience as an effective
communicator, with telephone and radio contact with the
general public in demanding circumstances, preferably in a
policing emergency related environment. Excellent oral communication skills, dependability, decisiveness, good judgment and the ability to react positively in stressful situations
are highly desirable characteristics. Computer skills and
keyboarding speed of 40 wpm required. These qualiﬁcations
would normally be acquired through related experience and
post secondary education or training.
Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resume that
they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so
may result in a candidate being screened out.
Positions within the Department of Justice are considered
“Positions of Trust” and as such successful candidates
will be subject to a background check through police/court
banks and other sources.

(Temporary to March 31, 2008)

QUALIFICATIONS: The position requires an extensive knowledge of accounting and ﬁnancial principles and practices,
Government’s ﬁnancial legislation (Financial Administration
Act, the Public Tender Act, the Schools Act 1997, the MUN
Act, the Colleges Act), regulations and authorities and micro
computer applications in ﬁnancial management. The incumbent is expected to exercise considerable independence
and initiative and must possess effective organizational,
analytical, problem solving, interpersonal and oral/written
communication skills, and the ability to lead in a service-oriented environment. These qualiﬁcations would normally be
acquired through extensive experience in ﬁnancial management, considerable supervisory experience and graduation
from a University with a Degree in Business. An MBA and/or
Accounting Designation would be preferred.

Applications should be received on or before the close of
business on the closing date.
This competition is open to both male and female applicants
Late applications with explanation may be considered.
For additional information on this position call (709) 7298199.
For information on the recruitment process call (709) 7290130.
2007 10 31

Accounting Clerk II

Two (2) Temporary Positions
To March 31, 2008 with possible extensions
Location: Finance and General Operations Division, The
Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador, 9 Bonaventure Avenue, St. John’s NL
DUTIES: Monitors and reviews purchase order requisitions
and attached quotes to ensure compliance with purchasing
guidelines; veriﬁes goods received, prices and matches with
purchase order for keying / posting; prepares pre-cheque
register, prints cheques and mails/ﬁles; prepares and issues
invoices for services rendered and ensures timely receipt
of funds; receives all revenues on a daily basis, reconciles,
records and deposits; reviews monthly bank statements,
cancelled cheques and prepares reconciliation, petty cash
reconciliation and ﬂoat counts for petty cash holders; reviews
journey authorizations, veriﬁes and processes advance
requests; audits travel claims to ensure compliance with
guidelines and processes payments or collections.
QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge of the Principles of Accounting,
ACCPAC accounting systems, speciﬁcally with the General
Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchase Orders, Accounts Receivable and Bank Services Modules are required. Familiarity
with the Guidelines for the Hiring of External Consultants,
Purchasing Guidelines and the Tendering Act would be an
asset. Strong organizational, oral and written communication
skills are essential as well as the ability to establish and
maintain effective working relationships and work independently. These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired
through completion of a post secondary program with major
course work in Accounting, supplemented by related experience in cash counting and reconciliation, Accrual Based
Accounting and using ACCPAC software. Equivalencies may
be considered.

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – either by mail, fax or e-mail. Late applications with explanations may be considered. These positions are open to both male and female. A separate application must be submitted for each competition. For additional
information on this position, please call (709) 757-8015.
October 30, 2007

Applications must be received before the close of business
on the closing– either by mail, e-mail or fax. Late applications
with explanation may be considered. Candidates must clearly
demonstrate in their applications that they meet the above
qualiﬁcations; only those applicants who demonstrate such
qualiﬁcations will be considered for further assessment. This
position is open to both male & female. For additional information on this position, please call (709) 729-3025.

Health Promotion Consultant

(TEMPORARY – until March 31, 2008)
Health Promotion and Wellness Division, Department of
Health and Community Services, Confederation Building,
St. John’s, NL
DUTIES: Develops, analyzes, evaluates and provides advice
and assistance on policy/program issues in health promotion and wellness, including the ongoing development of
Phase 2 of the Provincial Wellness Plan; coordination of the
Provincial Wellness Advisory Council, the Injury Prevention
Initiative and the “Go Healthy” website. The position functions as a member of an interdisciplinary team and works in
close collaboration with health and community stakeholders
on health and wellness policies and initiatives.
QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge of the Newfoundland and
Labrador Health and Community Services system at both the
planning and operation levels. Applicants must have knowledge of the principles of health promotion, program planning
and evaluation, with particular emphasis on plan development, injury prevention and website management. The
required knowledge and skills for the position would normally
be acquired through a Master’s degree in health sciences,
or a related ﬁeld, as well as experience in a planning and/or
evaluation role. Applicants must possess strong oral and
written communication, presentation, facilitation, organizational and analytical skills
SALARY:
HL-21 ($51,546 – $67,010)
COMPETITION #: H.C.HPC(t).07.08.207-P
CLOSING DATE: November 12, 2007
Applications, quoting competition number, should be forwarded via mail, fax or email:
Mail:

For additional information on this position, please call (709)
729-3067
Applications must be received before the close of business
on Nov 12th, 2007 – either by e-mail, mail or fax. Late applications with explanation may be considered. Candidates
must clearly demonstrate in their applications that they meet
the above qualiﬁcations; only those applicants who demonstrate such qualiﬁcations will be considered for further
assessment. This position is open to both male & female.

Social and Resource Branch, Ofﬁce of the Chief Information
Ofﬁcer, Executive Council, Grand Falls-Windsor
DUTIES: The incumbent will assist in various phases of
the development and implementation of small to mid scale
information systems; assist with the preparation and development of system requirements; perform development
and maintenance programming for new and existing applications, prepare test plans and tests applications, develops
documentation, assists with the implementation and secure
integration of applications and infrastructure while providing
ongoing support and maintenance.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates should possess knowledge
of system life cycle, design and development techniques,
tools, programming languages and Information Technology
Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Experience with programming,
development, and support of new and existing Web-based
and Client Server applications. An understanding of architectures including: applications and data, open standards and
integration technologies, organization and management, policies and standards, and transition strategies. Well developed
Web Services and directory programming skills combined
with good communication and interpersonal skills and a
service orientation. Required skills will normally have been
acquired through graduation from a recognized post secondary educational program with a specialization in Computer
Studies and through experience of a related and responsible
nature in a technical and applications (preferably multi-platform) environment. An equivalent combination of education
and experience may also be considered.
SALARY:
$ 44,189 - $ 49,285 (GS-36)
COMPETITION #: EXEC.OCIO.C.PA(t).07/08.120-P,
please quote when applying
CLOSING DATE: November 14th, 2007
Applications, quoting Competition No., should be submitted
to:
Mail:

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date, either by email, fax or mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered. RNC Security
Clearance is a condition of employment. This position is
open to both male and female. For additional information on
this position, please call (709) 729-1981.
October 29, 2007

Computer Programmer I
(2 Positions)
(Temporary to March 31, 2008)
Social and Resource Branch, Ofﬁce of the Chief Information
Ofﬁcer, Executive Council, Higgins Line, St. John’s
DUTIES: The incumbent will assist in various phases of the
development and implementation of small to medium scale
information systems. This includes: performing development
and maintenance programming for new and existing applications and preparing test plans and tests applications.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must possess knowledge
of system life cycle, design and development techniques,
tools, programming languages and Information Technology
Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Experience with programming,
development, and support of new and existing Web-based
and Client Server applications, along with experience with
Web Services and directory programming skills. Candidates
should have good communication and interpersonal skills
and a service orientation. Required skills will normally have
been acquired through graduation from a recognized post
secondary educational program with a specialization in
Computer Studies and through experience of a related and
responsible nature in a technical and applications (preferably
multi-platform) environment. An equivalent combination of
education and experience may also be considered.
SALARY:
$ 38,456 - $ 42,751 (GS-32)
COMPETITION #: EXEC.OCIO.C.CPI(t).07/08.121-P,
please quote when applying
CLOSING DATE: November 14th, 2007
Applications, quoting Competition No., should be submitted
to:
Mail:

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date, either by email, fax or mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered. RNC Security
Clearance is a condition of employment. This position is
open to both male and female. For additional information on
this position, please call (709) 729-1981.
October 29, 2007

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 17

Opportunities
Engineer III
Energy Management Engineer
Permanent
One (1) permanent position of Engineer III, with the Engineering Support Services Division, Works Branch of the
Department of Transportation and Works located at Confederation Building, West Block, St. John’s, NL.
DUTIES: Directs the development and implementation of
policies and programs related to the management of energy
resources in Government facilities. Plans, co-ordinates and
supervises a comprehensive energy management program
including the computerization and statistical analysis of energy utilization data necessary for this program. Recommends
program modiﬁcation and develops alternative approaches
to meet changing system and operational demand. Prepares
and manages terms of reference for and reviews Energy
Performance Contracting Proposals from consultants for the
management of energy services in public facilities. Advises
various Departmental Directors and Regional Project Managers on the technical and administrative matters related to
energy management policies, programs and projects. Evaluates and prepares budgetary requirements for the provision
of energy retroﬁts, the purchase of energy and submission of
these requirements to Treasury Board.

DUTIES: Advanced, skilled mechanical/plumbing work at
the full journey person level in the installation, alteration,
maintenance and repair of mechanical/plumbing systems,
equipment, components and ﬁxtures, in accordance with approved codes, trade practices, and in compliance with facility
policies; may perform work across several building trades
in conjunction with other maintenance staff and occupants;
may work with or supervise, as circumstance demands, contractors on site; read and interpret blueprints, sketches and
drawings; liaises with facility occupants to ensure compliance with procedures; and other related duties.

DUTIES: This is skilled work in the operation of a variety of
heavy equipment used in highway maintenance work. The
incumbent will be required to operate such pieces of heavy
equipment as a grader, front-end loader, backhoe, etc.; the
incumbent will be required to prepare and maintain work
records on the operation of assigned equipment; in winter plows, sands and salts roads; performs other related duties
as required.
QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of High School; possession of
the appropriate operator’s licences as issued by the Province
of Newfoundland and Labrador (Class 03 license with 08 and
09 endorsements) considerable knowledge of the regulations
and practices utilized in the operation of heavy equipment; or
any equivalent combination of experience and/or training.

QUALIFICATIONS: An in-depth knowledge of building electrical and mechanical systems, energy management programs,
ﬁnancial and economic analytical methods, and Energy
Performance Contracting. A strong knowledge of building
control systems, database management computer programming and HTML/Internet skills. Candidates must be able
to work independently and possess initiative together with
strong computer, oral, written, organizational, analytical, supervisory, and interpersonal skills. Educational requirements
include graduation from a recognized professional engineering program in either the electrical or mechanical discipline,
supplemented by thorough experience in the buildings design
or management ﬁelds. CANDIDATES MUST BE ELIGIBLE FOR
REGISTRATION IN PEGNL.

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date. Late applications with explanation may
be considered.
A separate application must be submitted for each competition. For additional information on this position, call 7295786.

Human Resource Consultant

(Temporary to September 30, 2008 with possible extension)
Strategic Human Resource Division for Government’s
Resource Sector Departments, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Confederation Building, West Block,
St. John’s
DUTIES: As a member of the Human Resource (HR) Management Team, the HR Consultant performs a generalist role
and may be involved in a variety of HR program and service
delivery areas including: management of the departmental
position classiﬁcation processes; supporting the delivery of
employee and labour relations functions including interpretation of collective agreements, processing of grievances and
chairing grievance meetings, conducting investigations and
recommending actions related to principles of organizational
justice; participation in the development, delivery and coordination of organizational development activities including
cultural assessment and training activities; supporting the
delivery of integrated disability management programming for
the department; and providing interpretation of compensation and other corporate HR policies. The incumbent will be
expected to take a proactive approach to problem solving
and coach managers on conﬂict resolution and progressive
discipline issues. The incumbent will also provide support
and consultative services to departmental management
on a wide variety of HR services and programs and will be
expected to actively represent the Strategic HR Division on
various teams and committees.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates for the HR Consultant should
have considerable knowledge and experience in managing
human resource services, programs and functions, and providing HR consultative services to management and executive members. S/he must possess strong communication,
facilitation, organizational, and analytical skills, along with
the ability to operate in a strategic and proactive environment. These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired
through experience in the human resource management
ﬁeld, and the completion of a relevant degree program from
a recognized University.

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date - either by mail or fax. This competition is
open to both female and male applicants. Late applications
with explanation may be considered.
A separate application must be submitted for each competition. For additional information on this position call
(709) 729-2383.

Financial Ofﬁcer

A separate application must be submitted for each competition.
For additional information on this position, please call (709)
729-5082 or 729-0842

Ms. Carolyn Payne, Regional Administrator
Department of Transportation and Works
P. O. Box 2006
Corner Brook, NL A2H 6J8
Fax:
(709) 637-2549
E-mail: PayneC@gov.nl.ca
Application should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – either by mail, fax or e-mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered.
For additional information on this position call (709) 6372496.

Heavy Equipment Technician

Temporary
One (1) temporary position of Heavy Equipment Technician,
with the Central Transportation Division of the Department
of Transportation and Works located at Baie Verte.

Permanent
One (1) position of Financial Ofﬁcer, Marine Services
Branch, Department of Transportation and Works, located
in Lewisporte, NL.
DUTIES: This position is responsible for professional ﬁnancial management duties involving ﬁnancial accounting and
budget analyses for all facets of the Marine Services Branch.
Analyses ﬁnancial statements and the ﬁnancial implications
of contracts entered into by the Branch. Plans, organizes and
performs specialized and comprehensive ﬁnancial assessments of the ﬁnancial business, processes and operations
of the Branch and prepares comprehensive reports. Reviews
the adequacy of ﬁnancial controls and ensures compliance
with departmental and government policies, procedures and
applicable legislation. Prepares, examines and analyzes
the Branch’s annual budget submissions and supporting
documentation for review by senior management. Performs
regular monitoring and advises senior management on the
ﬁnancial position of the Branch. Assists in the formulation
of the Branch’s ﬁnancial and budget policy, objectives and
procedures and provides advice to staff on ﬁnancial matters.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidate must possess considerable
experience in ﬁnancial analysis work related to ﬁnancial
accounting and budgeting; knowledge of the Government’s Financial Administration Act, the Public Tendering Act and supporting policies and procedures. Analytical, oral and written
communications skills are essential. Knowledge and practical experience using the Oracle Purchasing Module would be
an asset. Candidate must be able to establish and maintain
effective working relationships and work independently.
Qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through graduation
from an approved college or university with a Degree in Commerce or Business Administration, or a Professional Accounting Designation. Equivalencies may be considered.
SALARY:
GS 37 ($45,754.80 – 51,105.60)
COMPETITION #: TW.C.FO.(p).07.08.260-P
CLOSING DATE: November 12, 2007.
Information for Applicants:
This competition is open to both male and female applicants.
Applications should be forwarded to:
Mail:

Application should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – either by mail, fax or e-mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered.

In order to ensure your application/resume is processed appropriately, the job competition number MUST be indicated.
This competition is open to both male and female applicants.
Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date either by postal mail, fax or e-mail. (If
faxing, DO NOT send a duplicate copy). Late applications with
acceptable explanation may be considered.

QUALIFICATIONS: Considerable knowledge and experience
in the mechanical/plumbing trade and possess a journey
persons certiﬁcate in the mechanical/plumbing trade. Candidates must be well organized, have good communication
skills, be cognizant of sensitivities that may arise in a closed
custody setting, and be willing to work within the policies
and procedures of such a facility. A Class 5 drivers licence is
required.

A separate application must be submitted of each competition.
For additional information on this position call (709) 7291969

DUTIES: This position provides skilled journeyperson level
work with the diagnosing of problems related to light and
heavy equipment as well as advanced work in a variety of
other trades associated with the repair of vehicles and related equipment carried out in the region. Equipment includes
trucks, loaders, snow plows, snow blowers, graders and air
powered equipment. Work involves repairing, rebuilding and
fabricating parts and components of light and heavy vehicles,
vehicle systems and related equipment. The Heavy Equipment Technician performs emergency road services, makes
ﬁeld repairs and performs other related duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must be a certiﬁed journeyperson Heavy Equipment Technician, certiﬁed journeyperson
Truck and Transport Mechanic or a certiﬁed journeyperson
Automotive Technician with experience in the repair of heavy
equipment and heavy trucks (certiﬁcation issued by the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and/or interprovincial certiﬁcation). Possession of a valid driver’s license is
required. Experience in the various trades associated with
repair of vehicles and equipment, and courses in welding, machinist, autobody repairer, automotive repairer and
automotive mechanic trades are deﬁnite assets. Experience
in electric welding and acetylene cutting would also be an
asset.
SALARY:
$17.44 – 19.28 (40 HOUR WEEK) MS 26
COMPETITION #: TW.C.HET.(t).07.08.256-P
CLOSING DATE: November 12, 2007
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS:
Applications SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO:
Mail:

Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date - either by mail or fax. Late applications
with explanation may be considered.
A separate application must be submitted for each competition. For additional information on this position call 709-2924306.

18 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

Opportunities
Policy, Planning and Research Analyst for
Sustainable Development Round Table Support

Administrative Ofﬁcer I for Sustainable
Development Round Table Support

DUTIES: Conducts policy and research planning and develops Sustainable Development documents and reports;
compiles, analyzes and reports relevant Sustainable
Development information to members of the Sustainable
Development Round Table and develops policy assessments
in response to Sustainable Development issues; ensures
the appropriate research is conducted in support of the
Sustainable Development program and as recommended by
the Sustainable Development Round Table; assists in planning, monitoring and updating operational and Sustainable
Development project schedules, reports, public information,
budget information and departmental requests; designs
and implements standard policy frameworks for the various
components of the Sustainable Development initiative, including the Strategic Sustainable Development Management
Plan and the Provincial Sustainable Development Indicator
Program; helps develop and maintain appropriate databases
pertaining to issues related to Sustainable Development and
makes these available to members of the Round Table and
identiﬁes and responds to policy requests of the Sustainable
Development Round Table and works to incorporate these in
the broader Sustainable Development policy program.

DUTIES: Performs general operations and administrative
work in overseeing and coordinating the Sustainable Development Round Table activities; establishes and serves as a
general liaison with ofﬁcials from government departments,
industry, and academia on matters and concerns of Sustainable Development; identiﬁes and recommends changes to
the operational procedures of the Round Table to provide
maximum efﬁciency; plans and conducts ﬁnancial and organizational analysis of sustainable development proposals
and applications; maintains the care, custody and retrieval of
conﬁdential documents through the maintenance of an information management system; assists the Director in preparing annual reports, technical reports, presentations, forms
and other documentation on the Sustainable Development
Round Table; maintains knowledge of the various programs
of the Sustainable Development Round Table and the Sustainable Development and the Strategic Science Branch and
ensures that ﬁles, correspondence and information relating
to conferences, meetings, or any other Sustainable Development issues that need immediate action are communicated
to the appropriate ofﬁcials.

QUALIFICATIONS: An in-depth knowledge of policy development processes in the area relating to Sustainable Development is required. Candidates must have well developed
organizational, research and analytical skills. Exceptional
interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to
work independently, and adapt in a fast paced environment,
as well as in a team environment are required. Proﬁciency in
computer software/applications is essential. These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through graduation from
university with a Masters in political and/or social sciences
and supplemented by related experience in policy research
and development.
SALARY:
$45,754.80-$51,105.60 (GS-37)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.PPRA(P).07.08.0242-P
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY MAIL, Fax or
Email to:
Mail:

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants.
Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that
they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so
may result in a candidate being screened out.
Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – late applications with explanation may
be considered. For additional information on this position,
call 709-729-3593 or 709-729-0037.

QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge of ofﬁce administration and
information management processes as well as government’s
general operations procedures is required. Candidates must
have well developed analytical, organizational, time management, interpersonal and oral and written communication
skills and be able to work independently. Proﬁciency in Microsoft Ofﬁce Suite is essential. These qualiﬁcations would
normally be acquired through a Diploma in Business or Ofﬁce
Administration or related area supplemented by considerable
responsible experience in an Administrative Management
capacity.
SALARY:
$35,908.60-$39,894.40 (GS-30)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.AOI(P).07.08.0243-P
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY MAIL, Fax or
Email to:
Mail:

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants.
Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that
they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so
may result in a candidate being screened out.
Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – late applications with explanation may
be considered. For additional information on this position,
call 709-729-3593 or 709-729-0037.

DUTIES: Reporting directly to the Executive Director of
Sustainable Development and Strategic Science Branch
this position is responsible for providing leadership to all
staff of the Institute and for directing a high level scientiﬁc
academic/government partnership program; engages with
highly creditable scientists and administrative academicians
at senior levels within universities locally, nationally, and internationally, on research priorities, methodology and design,
as well as on project execution, progress and, ultimately,
the review and publication of research ﬁndings; facilitates
IBES programs that work towards research, education, and
responsive technical assistance; develops strategies and
plans for the research areas of the Institute; identiﬁes and
evaluates new research proposals to ensure the IBES mandate and operations support provincial research priorities;
provides leadership on research projects, educational and
outreach programs within the institute and manages overall
management of all projects, programs, staff and ﬁnancial resources; develops, in conjunction with the Executive Director,
a communication strategy and recruitment package aimed at
Honours, MSc and PhD students as potential IBES candidates; develops a strategy targeted at potential universities
to increase awareness of the IBES model on a national and
international scale; provides speeches and/or presentations
at major scientiﬁc conferences and symposia worldwide and
in general directs an effective and comprehensive communication plan for the Institute; liaises with potential partners to
collaborate on natural resource conservation science, as well
as socio-economic research for community sustainability, and
expert reviews of industrial investment and its application to
sustainable use and best management practices; initiates
and writes grant proposals to major scientiﬁc foundations
and research funding agencies, and fosters collaborative
initiatives in established and emerging areas of research;
prepares scientiﬁc publications and related documents; ensures the scientiﬁc integrity of research projects conducted
through IBES, and monitors the development and progress
of all components of research including the commitments
and participation of scientiﬁc team members. The incumbent
oversees the operation of the organization and ensures the
Institute hosts scientiﬁc workshops, seminars and technical
courses; advises and directs graduate students and their
research.
QUALIFICATIONS: Expert knowledge in a multi disciplinary nature in scientiﬁc disciplines relevant to sustainable
development programs and policies is required. Knowledge
of Newfoundland ecosystems and their management,
knowledge/experience in ecological and/or natural resource
discipline, Candidates must have well developed, management and team building skills, be proactive and able to work
independently, provide supervision to staff, manage multiple
projects, and establish and maintain strong working relationships with the academic community, government departments, a variety of organizations and the general public. The
candidate must also possess exceptional organizational,
qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through graduation
from university with a MSc. (minimum) or Ph.D (preferred)
in one of the areas of research focus supplemented with
related experience in project management and leadership.
SALARY:
$65,342.00-84,945.00 (HL-28)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.D(p).07.08.0244-P
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007

Buyer II
Permanent
One (1) permanent position of Buyer II, Marine Services
Branch, Department of Transportation and Works, located
in Lewisporte, NL
DUTIES: This position is responsible for the review of
requests for goods and services from the Marine Services
Branch for accuracy and completeness as well as compliance with purchasing guidelines and procedures. Determines
appropriate method of acquisition of required goods/services and initiates purchase action in accordance with the
Public Tender Act. Maintains acquisition ﬁles on all purchases for audit review by Government Purchasing Agency staff.
Prepares and advises on speciﬁcations for complex tenders.
Assists in writing specialized and complex contracts, assuring contracting terms and conditions are used. Maintains a
source list of suppliers and commodities. Analyzes procurement problems and liaises with suppliers and departmental
staff when situations arise. Maintains expenditure and
inventory control on purchases and exercises internal control
for the receipt and distribution of commodities. Interacts with
Marine Services staff and Government Purchasing Agency
regarding all matters related to the procurement of goods
and services.
QUALIFICATIONS: Candidate must possess considerable
knowledge of the Public Tender Act, Regulations, Trade
Agreements and purchasing policies and procedures. Knowledge and practical experience using the Oracle Purchasing
Module would be an asset. Analytical, oral and written communications skills are essential. Candidate must be able
to establish and maintain effective working relationships
and work independently. Qualiﬁcations would normally be
acquired through considerable experience in the purchasing
ﬁeld and completion of college level courses in Public Administration, Business Administration or course work through the
Purchasing Management Association of Canada.
SALARY:
GS 28 ($34,070.40 – 37,746.80)
COMPETITION #: TW.C.BII.(p).07.08.259-P
CLOSING DATE: November 14, 2007.
Information for Applicants:

Departmental Program Coordinator

Mail:
Institute for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Science & Sustainability
Permanent
Institute for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Science & Sustainability (IBES), Sustainable Development & Strategic Science
Branch, Department of Environment and Conservation,
Corner Brook, NL
DUTIES: Researches, initiates and secures funding partnerships with other academic institutions and scientiﬁc agencies for student research programs, exchange programs, and
internship programs in developing the best possible research
program for the Institute; seeks other potential stakeholders
to develop cooperative arrangements for funding and in-kind
support for research conducted by the Institute; in conjunction with the Director, evaluates and prioritizes funding
opportunities for research projects; monitors and evaluates
student materials and ﬁnancial needs and proposes modiﬁcations when and where necessary and also provides written
reports and ﬁnancial summaries.
QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledgeable in local environmental
issues would be considered as an asset. Proﬁciency in computer software/applications, knowledge of internet/research
marketing and the ability to develop and maintain funding
partnerships on local, national and international levels are
required. Candidates must have well developed organizational, research, analytical, oral and written communicational
and interpersonal skills and possess the ability to work with
a high degree of autonomy and exercise sound judgment.
These qualiﬁcations would normally be acquired through a
completion of a Degree or Diploma in Business Administration or Marketing supplemented by courses in Environmental
Sciences and considerable experience in fundraising.
SALARY:
$41,059.20-$45,718.40 (GS-34)
COMPETITION #: EC.C.DPC(P).07.08.0246
CLOSING DATE: November 23, 2007
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY MAIL, Fax or
Email to:
Mail:

This Competition is open to both male and female applicants.
Applications should be forwarded to:
Mail:

Application should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – either by mail, fax or e-mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered.
A separate application must be submitted of each competition.
For additional information on this position call (709) 7291969

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants.
Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that
they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so
may result in a candidate being screened out.
Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – late applications with explanation may
be considered. For additional information on this position,
call 709-729-3593 or 709-729-0037.

Information for Applicants:
This position is open to both male and female applicants.
Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their resumé that
they meet all of the above qualiﬁcations. Failure to do so
may result in a candidate being screened out.
Applications should be received before the close of business
on the closing date – late applications with explanation may
be considered. For additional information on this position,
call 709-729-3593 or 729-729-0037.

Request for Proposals
The Department of Health and Community Services in
conjunction with the Women’s Policy Ofﬁce is requesting proposals from qualiﬁed agencies to develop a provincial public
awareness campaign that will focus on the legislative duty
to report child maltreatment, and the programs and services
provided by Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS). This
will involve development of promotional materials and media
campaign as well as a subsequent two year marketing plan.
To obtain a copy of the detailed Request for Proposals
please contact:
Department of Health and Community Services at (709) 7292888
Four (4) copies of the contractor’s proposal must be received
at the Department of Health and Community Services no
later than noon on Wednesday, November 14, 2007.

woman from Newfoundland has filed a
lawsuit in U.S. federal court, claiming
American car companies and dealers
illegally discriminated against her because she
is Canadian.
Paradise resident Rhonda Chancey, 43, was
told repeatedly as she shopped over the
Internet that she couldn’t buy the car of her
dreams — a Pontiac Torrent — from U.S.
dealers because she was Canadian.
Chancey, along with her husband, launched
a human rights complaint as well as a classaction claim in U.S. federal court.
Lawyer Stephanie Jazlowiecki filed the federal suit last week in U.S. District Court in
Bangor, Maine. She says General Motors,
Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota have forbidden U.S. dealers from selling to people from
Canada, where prices are much higher.
Chancey’s ordeal began in September when
she started eyeing the cost of cars in the U.S.
The price tag for the kind of Torrent she wanted was about $14,000 lower in the U.S. before

taxes, she says. So Chancey and her husband,
Allan Coombs, 43, decided they would buy the
car there.
But several dealers told Chancey GM had
put a policy in place recently that they weren’t
allowed to sell to Canadians. “I e-mailed back,

was so stressful. I want this policy changed. I
don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve
gone through … No matter what, General
Motors shouldn’t be above the law.”
Canadians across the country have faced the
same dilemma, eyeing cheaper U.S. prices but
unable to purchase cars there. Chancey says
she has received dozens of calls and e-mails
from Canadians who share her anger.
A $2-billion class-action lawsuit has been
launched by four Toronto residents in Ontario,
alleging collusion between the Canadian and
U.S. offices of some automakers to inflate the
car prices in Canada while inhibiting crossborder shopping.
Chancey and her husband did eventually
buy a car in the U.S. by arranging for a relative
to buy it on paper and sell it back to them.
They ended up having to pay taxes on the vehicle twice, she says.
On the door panel of the Torrent they drove
home is a sticker that proclaims the car was
made in Ontario, she says.
“It was exported from Canada to the U.S.
and I was just bringing it home. How much
more ironic can you get than that?”

“It was exported from
Canada to the U.S. and I
was just bringing it home.
How much more ironic can
you get than that?”
Rhonda Chancey
‘This is discrimination and you can’t discriminate against me because of my nationality,’”
she says.
“Here where I live no one is ever turned
away,” Chancey says. “Everyone is treated
equal. Everyone is generous here. I’ve never
seen discrimination, let alone experienced it. It

‘Change begins
with yourself’
From page 15
learned a lot about business and worked with some of the
best leaders in the country. (“Leaders,” she stresses. “Not
bosses.”) She says governing bodies, including this
province’s, could take a few notes on what her organization is achieving — in establishing long-term vision, clear
goals, and attaining them with integrity.
“We’re using business to make change in Canadian
society,” she says, then laughs. “But I’m biased, of
course.”
This spring, after six years, Bartlett will step down from
her position on the co-op’s board. She’s ready to spend
some more time outdoors, and believes the business is in
position only to grow.
“We moved from a business that had issues to one that
is outstanding,” she says. “Yes, we have to keep improving. We’re not perfect. But our hearts are in the right place
and people want that.
“Our members are not all tree-huggers. They’re people
who are aware and want to feel good about the clothes
they buy and want to feel their co-op is serving them …
and that’s what we’re trying to do.
“As we’re going forward and we’re gaining membership that’s giving us more strength and power to advocate
and make change on a bigger level. We start with ourselves — change begins with yourself — and go forward.”
stephanie.porter@theindependent.ca

‘Not rocket
science’
From page 15
impacts and what to do about it.
Otherwise, employers will continue to
be caught off guard because they didn’t
see it coming or didn’t know how to
respond.
Second, we have to find ways to
plug the hole in the bucket by being
strategic and proactive in attracting and
retaining talent. Challenge your standard practices and results. We need to
be nimble. Business owners and operators need to do things differently. They
need to be more creative in recognizing
what someone brings to the table and
how to help candidates fill the HR
gaps.
By and large, employers are already
increasing wages and benefits to attract
and retain talent. But wages can only go
up as far as customers will let them.
Customers determine what they will
pay for goods and services, whether it’s
a meal at a restaurant or a massive
piece of infrastructure for an offshore
project.
Creative retention strategies are
linked not only to wages and benefits,
but work-life balance, flexibility,
respectful workplaces and so on. Enriching the work experience, offering
employees opportunities for professional development and training and
valuing employees’ personal time are
ways to help attraction and retention
efforts.
Third, let’s get more creative in finding ways to repatriate Newfoundlanders and Labradorians abroad, and
bring them back home to work, live and
raise their families.
Fourth, we need to get in the game of
competing for and attracting newcomers.
For example, many provinces have
taken proactive steps to increase immigration, including Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Prince Edward Island is
embarking on a new agreement with
the Philippines to bring in temporary
foreign workers.
While the province has a new immigration strategy, immigration isn’t
“the” answer to our demographic and
labour shortage challenges. It is, however, part of the response.
And fifth, we can maximize use of
the talent we have at our fingertips. We
can assertively promote greater workforce participation. We can facilitate
more career counselling, co-operative
education, mentoring and internship
programs that train and prepare young
people for the transition to the workplace.
Tackling our labour supply and
underlying demographic challenges
might require some venturing outside
the box. Do we need to undertake a
concerted effort to reverse population
decline? The provincial government’s
proposed $1,000 “baby bonus” sounds
like one piece of what could be a larger
plan, yet, perhaps we shouldn’t be so
fatalistic about our downward population projections. Instead, we should get
to work on reversing the trend, just as
New Brunswick has, with its new population growth secretariat.
The bottom line is the businesses and
provinces preparing now will gain a
competitive advantage. This is not
rocket science. We all know the problem and we all have band-aid solutions,
but it’s time for a collective strategy for
this collective problem.
We need to be more than the innovator of labour force solutions. We need
to be bolder and better. We can’t afford
not to be … it’s the only way to survive
the perfect storm.
Cathy Bennett is president of the St.
John’s Board of Trade.

GET MORE OF WHAT
YOU WANT.
FOR LESS.
Build a Rogers Bundle that’s right for you and save.
PERSONALTVTM
• Basic Digital – Over 155 channels in 100% digital
picture and sound
• Free access to On Demand programming

hopping in Canada just got a bit
cheaper. Again. Amid rising evidence Canadian consumers are
spending their soaring dollars south of
the border, two major Canadian retailers announced price cuts aimed at keeping more shoppers at home.
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. said it would
cut prices on books, magazines, gift
wrap and greeting cards in all its
Canadian stores to U.S. levels, effective
Nov. 1.
Also, Indigo Books and Music Inc.
introduced a new price promotion that
gives customers an additional 10 per
cent to 20 per cent off their favourite
book in its Indigo, Chapters and Coles
stores.
Both moves came as the Canadian
dollar hovers around its modern-day
high and postal warehouses across
Canada fill up with goods ordered from
U.S. retailers.
“With the strength of the loonie leading some Canadians to consider U.S.
shopping alternatives, we’re creating a
more compelling case for customers to
shop and save with Wal-Mart Canada,”
says president and chief executive officer Mario Pilozzi.
Indigo says it cut prices for the same
reason.
“We’re hearing a lot of movement
toward online shopping (and) we
thought it was important in light of the
disparity in the price printed on the
(book) jacket, that ... beyond the fact
that we’ve already seen prices come
down, we have prices today that are at,
or better than, the U.S. prices,” Indigo
spokesperson Lisa Huie explains.
SECOND CHOPPING
It is the second time since the loonie
hit $1 (US) in value on Sept. 20 that
major Canadian retailers have
announced price cuts. Earlier, WalMart Canada said it was rolling back its
prices on more items than ever before,
while Zellers announced permanent
price reductions on thousands of items.
The moves come in response to consumer anger over the gap between
prices in Canada and the U.S.
While the loonie has gained 22.6 per
cent against the U.S. greenback so far
this year, consumers report prices are in
some cases 50 per cent to 60 per cent
higher for identical goods on this side
of the border.
Canadians have found the price gap
on printed material particularly annoying because books, magazines, gift
wrap and greeting cards come with
both the U.S. and Canadian price
already printed on them. An Oprah
magazine is priced at $4.95 (US) but
$7.50 (CAN), for example.
Indigo says the prices printed on
book jackets are set by publishers, not
retailers, often six months before the
book hits store shelves, when the loonie
was lower in value.
“We buy and sell books in Canadian
dollars,” says Joel Silver, Indigo’s chief
merchant, “and as such do not profit in
any way from a strengthened Canadian
dollar.”
Canadian retailers are responding to
mounting evidence consumers are
making more purchases in the U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE
STRETCHED
Canada Post confirmed yesterday the
number of parcels coming into Canada
from U.S. retailers is soaring.
Deliveries of U.S. parcels in Canada
jumped nearly 18 per cent in
September, stretching postal warehouses in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa to
the limit.
Canada Post has had to add more
staff and overtime shifts to deal with
the deluge, spokesperson François
Legault said.
Indigo says book prices have been
falling over time as the Canadian currency rose. A new book that retails for
$30 today would have hit store shelves
six months ago at $35.
The retailer also notes it has lowered
the price of 25,000 items in the past
four months by five per cent to 30 per
cent.
Indigo also released its latest sales
results for the quarter ending Sept. 29,
which included the release of the latest
book in the hugely popular Harry Potter
series. Sales grew 14.8 per cent to
$209.2 million while net earnings
swung to $3.3 million from a loss of $1
million a year earlier.

INDEPENDENTLIFE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2-8, 2007 — PAGE 21

Sings
the jigs
Local dancer tells life story
of Port au Port resident
in song and dance
By Mandy Cook
The Independent

N

inety-four-year-old Black Duck Brook resident Florence LePrieur is leaning forward
in her armchair, the focus of a cameraman’s lens. Her body a bundle of animated energy,
she is “singing the jigs” at filmmaker and dance
artist Louise Moyes’ request.
“Dee diddle di di diddle dee — hey!” she finishes with a flourish of hand slap and cry. Or something close to it.
It’s hard to describe the music emanating from
the woman’s lips. A cross between a Jew’s harp and
throat singing, her voice is its own instrument.
Known as chin music, she is singing jigs and reels
— fiddle melodies — for the camera and for cultural posterity.
“You gettin’ all that, are ye?” she asks the cameraman. Taking a shine to him, she flirts and calls
him her “bébé.”
St. John’s-based dancer Moyes first met the
plucky LePrieur more than three years ago through
another dance work, The Port au Port Story. The
elderly woman’s two grandsons were involved in
the project, and Grammie, as Moyes calls her, performed a small part. A charismatic character who
shared many of Moyes’ interests and defining life
experiences, the two bonded instantly on an emotional level.
It was not long after that Moyes decided
LePrieur’s was the life story she had been looking
to tell through her unique form of dance-theatre.
Moyes’ dance company, Docudance, is the performer’s vehicle for storytelling through movement and text, music and mime. A gifted mimic of
accent and rhythm, she’s debuting the full-length
premiere of Florence at the LSPU Hall Nov. 14-17,
recounting Grammie’s remarkable life and the
priceless oral history of a disappearing generation.
LePrieur lived out her life in L’Anse à Canard, a
tiny community on the north shore of the Port au
Port peninsula. The wife of a woodsman, she
reared nine children alone for months at a time.
She says she “worked like a horse and didn’t care
for nudding, Mae,” but her life’s passion was
music and singing the jigs.
As Moyes moves through the performance
space, she recounts Grammie’s stories, at times
spinning, pulsing and gesturing, all the while slipping effortlessly between LePrieur’s voice and her
own, between French and English.
She recalls one story about the day LePrieur
went to milk the cows, but was called away by the
news a boat was stuck in a sandbar. The sailors had
thrown bags of flour overboard in an effort to free
the vessel. Throughout the 50-minute piece, film
clips of LePrieur telling the same story echo
Moyes’ version.
“One of the neighbours came and said the flour
was coming ashore like a white sheet on the
waaater,” Moyes drawls, in character. All the
while, she flicks with her hands, animating the tale,
gathering up the 100-pound bags of flour.
The kicker of the story is revealed in the
dancer’s own voice, later. The audience discovers
the captain of the ship, LePrieur’s eventual fatherin-law, ran the boat ashore on purpose. The com-

Louise Moyes, performing part of her dance piece, Florence.

Paul Daly/The Independent

See “It makes,” page 24

Eyes on the prizes

In a series of awards ceremonies and gala occasions, the Order of Canada rises above

F

irst to the MUSICNL Awards.
Awards shows are fraught with
hype and anxiety, always
potentially silly and, at worst, utterly
lacking in credibility. No doubt,
awards are important for sales and the
marketing side of the industry,
enhancing the profile of musicians
and their agents, should they be lucky
enough to have them, but at some
level we all know they are popularity
contests driven by the quirks and biases of the judges
You have to admire executive director Denis Parker’s enthusiasm for the
whole extravaganza, not to mention
his leadership in the industry, but it’s
not really clear who the judges of the
MusicNL awards were, or what criteria they were following to determine,
say, “group” or “entertainer” of the

NOREEN
GOLFMAN
Standing Room Only
year?
Sure, Shanneyganock won over
The Flummies and Funky Dory, but
why exactly? Are they better? Best?
Well, good for them. You have to love
a competition that gives one set of
prizes to a self-proclaimed “proud
patriotic” group like Shanneyganock
and another (alternative artist/group
of the year) to an irreverently edgy
band called The Kremlin. Locally
produced music obviously soothes a
wide variety of savage beasts.
Perhaps Karl Marx would approve the

sheer social equity of it all.
But do Canadian awards mean anything? When Ron Hynes recently performed at the opening of the St John’s
International Women’s Film Festival
at the Arts and Culture Centre, he both
brought down the house and puzzled a
whole lot of visiting mainlanders who
claimed they had never heard of him.
How is that possible? Hynes holds
more awards than most living
Canadian musicians combined.
In another genre entirely, the
Gemini Awards were held over the
last few weeks to honour the best in
English-Canadian television programming. That somewhat bumpy
field of competition is obviously
a lot wider, but then again it’s all
part of another closed system
favouring insiders and based on

uncertain criteria.
With an astonishing 91 categories
for craft and performance you would
expect anyone working in television
with a pulse to be nominated. This is
partly why the awards have never
managed to galvanize the interest of a
popular television audience. Honestly,
how can you take the Geminis seriously when the best Canadian drama
series on television, Intelligence, just
lost to far weaker shows with even
more obscure actors? Or when Howie
Mandel is named favourite Canadianborn TV performer? Now there’s a
category not worth taking seriously.
Still, it needs to be said that the
marvelous
home-grown
Pope
Productions achievement of 2006,
Above and Beyond, secured five nominations in major categories, winning

one, inexplicably, for Jonathan Scarfe
for best supporting actor. In this
writer’s view, Pam Hall was robbed of
best production design honours and
surely the best writing award was
stolen from John Doyle and Lisa
Porter, that tribute going to the
Vancouver-based Dragon Boys.
Maybe the award went to the most
expensive production.
But for all kinds of practical reasons, it’s good to be nominated and
we should be applauding Pope
Productions for making it to the program in several categories. However
noble their effort, this seemed to be
the year for Saskatchewan, with not
only the awards finale being televised
there but the Saskatchewan-based
See “One to,” page 22

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

22 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

GALLERYPROFILE

W

hen Chapel Arm native Tia
Warren attended Sir Wilfred
Grenfell College on the
island’s west coast, she first thought she
would specialize in photography.
Instead, she fell in love with the technique of printmaking — and a fellow
printmaker.
Michael Connolly of Kilbride started
his art education at Grenfell in the same
year. The married couple acknowledge
there were sparks right off the bat, but
they weren’t necessarily the romantic
kind.
“We used to fight most of the time,”
says Tia, with a grin.
“But by the end of the year we were
together,” finishes Michael.
The relationship resulted in a wedding, daughter Anna (now 15 months
old), busy careers in the art field and
their first joint show. Sticks and Stones
and Garden Gnomes will be on display
at the Leyton Gallery in St. John’s Nov.
3-24. The collection of acrylic paintings,
drawings, collage and prints is a gentle
and innovative interpretation of the natural world they share and enjoy together.
A professed woodsman, Michael’s

TIA & MICHAEL CONNOLLY

Visual Artists
work is the sticks and stones part of the
exhibition. A recent concentration on
wood — particularly the stands of birch
and spruce growing around his family
cabin in Mobile — led to working strips
of birch bark into the ultimate wood
product: his paper canvas.
Michael has drilled holes into the bark
(akin to the province’s woodpeckers),
pasted pieces of it onto paper and inked
a spectrum of pulpy beiges, yellows and
browns over the natural material. The
dark slubbings of the bark show through
filmy tracing paper and fecund, drooping
catkin seeds are drawn over the whole
works — the life cycle of the paper prod-

uct and an artist’s working surface built
into a frame.
“I really like trees,” he says. “I like the
movement, and each tree has its own
personality which I think is really neat
… the human aspect I find interesting,
the human potential of the everyday
things we take for granted.”
From tree bark and arrowhead drawings — Michael’s stone fixation — to
fish and flocks of vibrantly coloured
birds, nature’s influence and humanity’s
manipulation of it figures subtly in both
artists’ work.
Tia has also produced several pieces
focusing on trees and leaves, but one
image, Veronica’s Long Road, features a
neon blue ghost of a Newfoundland
pony. Tia’s father bred the ponies at one
time, and his daughter was in charge of
turning the little horse out into its summer grazing ground.
“I rode her only once when we had to
go from Chapel Arm to Whitbourne to
bring her in there for the summer. She
was going to be in this field with all
these other horses and so I just got tired
of walking, it takes hours, so I hopped on
her back,” she recalls.

The house in the painting’s background is a concoction of Tia’s imagination, gathered from photographs and
what her husband has described to her
about the family stead. Michael’s grandparents owned the Kilbride home, but it
no longer stands. The two cool subjects
are separated and highlighted by electric
tracers in red and yellow, perhaps a visual representation of the nostalgic journey
of Tia’s past.
Another image, of a tree silhouetted
by dusk, is on the surface a sensual study
of a quickly darkening sky flecked with
gold. Upon closer inspection however,
the garden gnome of the show’s title
makes an appearance, adding a distinctively light touch to the work. His little
red Santa Claus hat is a charming dissonance that hints at the artist’s light-hearted personality.
Asked whether their shared artistic
pursuits enhance their relationship, Tia
responds succinctly.
“It is our relationship,” she says, looking at Michael.
He nods in agreement.
“It always has been.”
mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

The Gallery is a regular feature in The Independent. For information, or to submit proposals, please call (709) 726-4639, or e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca

‘One to note above all’
From page 21
comedies Little Mosque on the
Prairie and Corner Gas coming up
smiling in major categories.
There is a huge irony in the littleknown fact that most of Little Mosque
on the Prairie is shot in Toronto and
that Corner Gas is, well, not that
funny to anyone living east of
Kenora, but then no one asked me to
do any judging. Perhaps when the
Geminis are televised from St. John’s
we’ll see some of the top prizes
awarded here.
And then there’s award-winning
writer Jane Urquhart, whose elegant
face actually made it to the front page
of the Other Paper last weekend. I
nearly fell off my chair, unaccustomed as I am to seeing any novelist,
let alone one from away, so prominently featured in The Telegram.

The story centred on the fact of an
imminent reading by one of Canada’s
leading writers and that Urquhart has
always found this province to be a
rich source of literary inspiration and
writerly support. Here is a case where
a strong handful of prestigious awards
have gone a deservedly long way.
Having been short-listed for all the
significant literary awards in the universe, Urquhart has already claimed a
Governor General’s Award for the
novel The Stone Carvers and the
notable distinction of having
remained on the Globe and Mail’s
bestseller list for a record-breaking
132 weeks.
Urquhart is also an Officer of that
club of clubs, the Order of Canada.
And that brings me to Patrick
O’Flaherty, professor emeritus,
author, educator and passionate advocate of Newfoundland literature and
culture, not to mention columnist for

this paper, now named as a worthy
member of that prestigious Order. In a
season of award ceremonies, last
weekend’s annual ritual marking the
investiture of members of the Order
of Canada surely ranks as the most
distinguished.
“It’s the unexpected public recognition of a life’s work carried out mostly in the obscurity of academic settings,” Dr. O’Flaherty remarked on
the honour with characteristic wit.
Music and film and even writing
awards get a lot more attention, but
O’Flaherty’s scholarly achievement is
the one to note above all. It transcends
the marketplace, is as free of commercialism, cronyism, and bias as it gets,
and everyone gets to bask in it. Bravo!
Noreen Golfman is a professor of
literature and women’s studies
at Memorial. Her column returns
Nov. 16.

our-year-old Amanda McCready of
south Boston has been missing for
more than 72 hours. Presumed
abducted, the chances of finding her
become more remote with the passage of
time.
Desperate to do everything it takes to
recover her, Amanda’s aunt and uncle
enlist the services of fledgling private
investigators Patrick Kenzie (Casey
Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle
Monaghan) to “augment” the efforts of
local police. Their theory is that someone
from the neighbourhood knows something, but is reluctant to talk to the police.
Kenzie and Gennaro, who are partners
in every modern sense of the word, have
never had a case of this magnitude, but
reluctantly agree. Police Captain Jack
Doyle (Morgan Freeman), however, is
even more reluctant to co-operate with
the two hired hands, especially since
Patrick looks much younger than his age.
When he’s reminded of his legal obligation to do so, he relents and sets up a
meeting with the two detectives leading
the investigation.
It’s been a while since Kenzie has
spent time in the neighbourhood, but in
jig time he and his partner have new
information to add to the investigation.
Having earned the respect of Detectives
Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick
Poole (John Ashton), the four work closely together as they inch closer to the
whereabouts of the missing child.
Based on the novel by Mystic River
author Dennis Lehane, Gone Baby Gone
marks Ben Affleck’s debut as a feature
film director. In addition to being one of

TIM CONWAY
Film Score
the film’s producers, Affleck also shares
screen-writing duties with Aaron
Stockard. Word has it that this is his
favourite novel, and his multi-disciplinary participation certainly indicates he’s
willing to go the distance to do this book
justice on the screen.
If there’s anything negative one could
say about Gone Baby Gone, it would be
that if Ben Affleck has indeed been passionate about making this picture, it
would be nice to see more of it on the
screen. Understatement and nuance are
fine characteristics of a film, but if not
handled with the right touch, other elements such as suspense and excitement
are restrained. Consequently, audiences
don’t experience the full range of emotion that could otherwise be offered by
the story.
This isn’t to say that there’s little suspense here or that the movie is dull. But if
Affleck had loosened the reins a bit, it
would have been a slight improvement to
the tone of the film. At the same time, it’s
much better to err on the side of caution,
especially his first time out, than to go
over the top and undermine what he has
achieved in almost every other aspect of
the production.
Set in his hometown, Affleck does a
wonderful job of establishing an environment that appears authentic. The places
and people seem to suggest “only here.”
While they are not unique, and are sadly
often too familiar, our experiences would
be with people and places like them, but

Amy Ryan as Helene in Gone Baby Gone.

somehow different.
Within this world he has recreated,
Affleck presents interesting characters
played by solid performers, with the one
exception being Michelle Monaghan,
who’s given very little to do. Morgan
Freeman and Amy Madigan turn in their
usual top rate work. As in so many years
previously, talk about contenders for supporting actor awards for 2007 is sure to
be incomplete without mentioning Ed

Harris and his commanding performance
here.
Casey Affleck, as Patrick Kenzie,
makes his mark in a demanding role that
offers the best audition a young actor
could hope to receive. He hits the right
note every time, with a character who is
constantly underestimated, particularly
because of his youthful appearance.
Moreover, Kenzie walks a tightrope
between innocence and experience, while

trying to maintain his ideals, and the
younger Affleck handles this perfectly.
Oddly enough, however, Affleck isn’t
the only performer drawing attention to
their heretofore undiscovered talents.
Amy Ryan, who has also skirted the
edges of Hollywood’s radar screen for
years, takes the character of Helene
McCready, the missing girl’s mother, and
delivers one of the year’s most memorable performances.
At turns despicable and sympathetic,
Ryan’s Helene draws upon the greatest
range of our emotions, and whether we
love her or hate her at any particular
moment, one thing’s for sure — we can’t
ignore her.
All around, Gone Baby Gone is a firstclass production, telling an engaging
story and featuring brilliant performances. More than just a police drama, this is
a moral tale, and one that doesn’t deign to
preach to us about right and wrong.
Perhaps it is this aspect of the film, which
is sure to have the greatest impact on
audiences, is what made Ben Affleck so
committed to the project.
After 10 years in the business, he probably realizes that a moral dilemma isn’t
the first thing that Hollywood looks for in
a screenplay, and in the wrong hands,
Gone Baby Gone could have become just
another thriller.
Fortunately, at a time when “ethical”
has almost become a variation on “new
and improved,” we find a motion picture
that isn’t afraid to explore what’s right or
wrong, our choices, and the consequences. Just as interesting, is that it’s to
our surprise, and his credit, that Ben
Affleck is asking the questions.
Tim Conway operates Capitol Video in
Rawlins Cross, St. John’s. His column
returns Nov. 16.

Great selection, neighbourhood feel

C

hurchill Square has a little something for
everyone — books, banking, restaurants,
fresh fish and so much more — yet “The
Square” has managed to maintain a small neighbourhood flavour.
Convenience combined with an unhurried,

friendly feel is what keeps customers returning to Churchill
Square over the years. Shoppers
say they can accomplish a lot
when they stop into The Square.
Shoppers can book a vacation at
LeGrows Travel, then pick up
items to take along on a trip at Take the Plunge or
at Alpine Country Lodge — depending, of
course, on the destination. There are books,
games, music and gifts available at Bennington
Gate and jewelry at Diamond Design. Terrace on
the Square is a great place to sit, relax and meet
with friends.
“I can get my hair done, pick up a little gift for
a friend, pay my bills, have a cup of coffee, get a
jump on my Christmas shopping and pick up a
new pair of sneakers all in the one place,” one
cheerful shopper shares.

Terrace on the Square, Churchill Square.

While malls can leave her feeling exhausted at times, she says
Churchill Square is different. “It
just feels like you stepped out for
a few minutes to pick up a few
things — almost like going shopping without the hassle of going

shopping.”
“Shopping in a small independently owned
store is such a different experience than shopping
in a larger store or at one of many in a chain
someplace,” another shopper says.
Besides knowing their products inside out, she
continues, Churchill Square storeowners also get
to know their customers.
One window shopper says shopping at The
Square naturally pulls people together.
“While I certainly love being recognized and
feeling valued at the stores I go into fairly regu-

Nicholas Langor/The Independent

larly, I also like that I run into the same people
each time I come,” she says, adding that she’s
never lost for a coffee or a lunch date when she
visits. She might not buy much on this day, she
admits, but she knows she will be back.
“Looking around is half the fun.”

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

24 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

‘It makes me want to dance’
From page 21
munity was desperately in need of supplies.
“But Grammie didn’t tell me that,”
recants Moyes. “She left out that detail.”
The performance becomes all the more
poignant when LePrieur’s and Moyes’
lives entwine on stage. Moyes’ son was
born 18 months ago, a miracle baby in the
wake of several miscarriages — one stillborn at six months. Grammie was inti-

mately attuned to the painful experience,
losing four children within a month of
their births during her childbearing years.
One child made its way into a story when
she decided to make her entrance on the
road to the store in Black Duck Brook.
“Thought I was going to have her on
the road, Mae,” she says, a high-pitched
inflection at the end, matching her wide
eyes. Moyes’ story overlaps then, dropping quickly to her heels, a physical
translation of a baby dropping down a

birth channel.
“My birth pains took over. Every bump
in the road in St. John’s,” she says, turning to the audience. “And there’s a lot of
them.”
Between stories and recited text,
Moyes repeatedly returns to the jig, bare
feet tapping out the beat on the floor. It is
LePrieur’s defining trait — her skills so
well known in her village she would be
stopped on the road and asked to sing jigs
on the spot — and Moyes focuses on the

art form, dancing to local composer Lori
Clarke’s heartbeat-inspired score.
LePrieur breathed her last breath in the
dying days of summer this year. As she
aged, she’d complain her body wasn’t
what it was, that her breath used to be “so
looonng.” She couldn’t hear her feet tap
on the carpeted floor of the seniors’ home
in Kippens where she lived out her final
days, but her low-heeled shoes left two
dents in the wooden floor of the house
she grew up in.

Sharing the story of her last visit with
her ailing friend, Moyes diffuses her
emotion as best she can with Grammie’s
own joke, cracked while restricted to her
bed: “Me, I’m finished, I’m Swedish!”
Moyes laughs aloud, strength renewed,
eager and ready to dance and sing
LePrieur’s life.
“It makes me want to dance hearing
somebody talk like that … It’s like my
heart is moving with it.”
mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

‘The things we see on our journeys’
For 30 years, The Flummies have been playing traditional Labrador songs, laced with more than a little rock ’n’roll
By Stephanie Porter
The Independent

L

eander Baikie laughs as he compares his
band, the long-running Labrador traditional
group The Flummies, to the Rolling Stones.
“Well, we started up in the ’70s, so we’re all into
our fourth decade,” he tells The Independent from
his office in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. “And we
have more than 150 years of performance experience between us.
“But then we’re not millionaires yet.”
Officially created in 1978, The Flummies (named
after traditional Labrador trappers’ bread) have built
a solid following for both their commitment to preserving and recording songs from the area, and their
ability to keep an audience on its feet during their
many club and dance gigs.
And 2007 is shaping up to be one of the band’s
most notable years. In January, Lab-Originals, a
one-hour documentary about the band, premiered
and is now airing on Bravo Canada and APTN. The
show is nominated for this year’s Canadian
Aboriginal Music Award for best television program promoting aboriginal music, and The
Flummies will play Toronto Dec. 1 and 2 as part of
the awards exhibition.
This fall, the band released This is the life for me,
their seventh CD. They picked up a MUSICNL
nomination and steady airplay because of it.
“It’s our best album to date, because we didn’t
have to travel,” says singer and guitarist Baikie.
“When we have to go to a studio elsewhere, it’s
pretty rushed, we don’t have time to go back and fix
things or make things better.
“This time we did, because we recorded here in
Happy Valley-Goose Bay at our lead guitar player
Tunker Campbell’s studio.”
Talk of travel runs through much of Baikie’s conversation — as inspiration, as inconvenience, is a
factor key to the shape of the band. It’s the reason
the band decided against attending last weekend’s
MUSICNL conference, in favour of the trip to
Toronto in December and a jaunt to the 2008 East
Coast Music Awards in New Brunswick next
spring.
“For six guys living in Goose Bay, it costs a lot of

money to fly out,” Baikie says. “Until the 2009 road
link, the Trans-Labrador Highway between Goose
Bay and Cartwright, it’s going to be business as
usual, in the sense you can only pick and choose
where you fly and where you can’t.”
It’s restricted the band in terms of touring — they
play regularly around their town and hit plenty of
festivals along the coast in the summer. There’s
strong interest in northern Canada for their music,

so The Flummies do their best to get there when
they can. Baikie says they’ve already been invited
to Iqaluit next summer.
The band members are of Inuit and Inuit Métis
background. Alton Best and Richard Dyson, founding members since 1978, were joined by Eugene
“Tunker” Campbell in 1989 and Simeon Asivak and
Baikie in 1999. Part-time drummer Raymond
Montague is the sixth Flummie. All believe strongly in the need and importance of promoting songs
from their past.
“One of the things we as Flummies pride ourselves on is performing songs that have only orally
been passed down through the generations here in
central Labrador,” says Baikie. “There’s not that
many of us recording artists that live in Labrador;
we do our best to preserve and protect some of the
songs from days gone by.”
But accordion tunes, jigs and stories from the past
show just one side of the band. The Flummies certainly aren’t afraid of rock ’n’ roll — a genre with
its own considerable history in the region.
“It’s the nature of the beast in Goose Bay,” Baikie
laughs. “It comes from the 1940s when the
Americans were here and this is what people wanted to do on the weekend, go to the clubs and dance.
“Even 10 years ago, when 5 Wing had all the
troops from around the world, there were 22 bars
that were hiring bands and paying good money,
many of them on the base. There is a good music
scene here still, but it’s definitely slowing down.”
Although the band will pull out cover tunes to
keep an audience hopping, they’re just as apt to play
an original composition. Talking about his own
songwriting, Baikie turns again to thoughts of wideopen spaces and trying to cross them.
“Life in Labrador dictates that we spend a lot of
time on the land or the sea, for hunting trips or journeys,” he says. “It’s not strange to have our accor-

dion player Richard Dyson travel 12 hours on
snowmobile to Cartwright in spring to visit family
and friends. These journeys are all experiences; the
things we write about are the things we see on our
journeys, how we felt …
“Traveling on snowmobiles sometimes, you may
travel three or four hours one way. So that’s time to
think — no telephones ringing, and you’re just
humming to yourself … putting rhymes together
over and over in your head. We’re not trained in the
art of songwriting; it’s just life experiences.”
Baikie picks out Cheer Up, the 12th and final
track on their latest CD. It’s an original, penned by
Baikie, and one of the very few dance songs recorded by The Flummies. He thought it was important,
both to showcase the band’s range and to stand as
social commentary.
“Cheer Up is written in an aboriginal context,” he
says. “It’s about sad times in a person’s life, that can
happen in isolated communities, people think
there’s no other way out around certain issues and
problems, but you deal with the matter as quickly as
you can and then you’re back on your feet again.
“Young people like our music and respect it, so
maybe there’s some hidden messages in there for
them.”
Even after all this time, Baikie says, The
Flummies don’t plan on going anywhere. They’ve
all got families and day jobs — they’ve long since
realized they can’t be full-time musicians, not living in their communities — but are committed to
playing, celebrating, and sharing their songs.
Baikie says he’s working on a proposal to bring
the 2009 MUSICNL award weekend to Labrador,
and the group would like to get around
Newfoundland and Labrador to show off their latest CD.
“Besides, I think 30 years of merriment deserves
a provincial tour.”

INDEPENDENTSTYLE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2-8, 2007 — PAGE 25

Nectar
of the gods
Wine Fest St. John’s best happy hour of the year

By Mandy Cook
The Independent

S

hort of a letter from Dionysius —
the Greek god of wine — you’re
not going to get your hands on
the season’s most coveted ticket in
town, the 12th Annual St. John’s Wine
Fest, by the time you read this. As of
press time, four evenings of taste tasting at the Delta Hotel were completely
sold out, with tickets available for only
the charity wine auction event and the
closing gala dinner Nov. 10.
An event notorious for its preChristmas, er, festiveness and glamourous semi-formal dress code, the
five-day wine show’s ultimate purpose
is to provide everyone from tippledrinking initiates to discriminating connoisseurs the chance to sample more
than 300 wines from around the world
and avail of expert insight from those
pouring sample-sized sips.

Wine agent and charity auctioneer at this year’s
event, David Greene, says the
show has been an integral part of the
province’s embracing of wine appreciation in the past decade.
“Wine Fest is a tremendous opportunity for people to de-snobify wine,” he
says. “By that I mean there’s always
this certain feeling and sense that wine
is a bit highfalutin and you’ve got to
know a lot about it, where in fact this
gives you the opportunity to try wines
from $12 to $100.”
Greene figures most festival attendees will spend between “several $100
and several $1,000” on wine at the
show — taking advantage of a 10 per
cent discount extended to all bottles
purchased on site. According to Greg
Gill, marketing manager at the
Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor
Corporation, roughly 5,000 tickets were
sold.

The numbers make for a
certain business opportunity
for Newfoundland’s first winery,
Rodrigues Winery in Markland.
General manager Lionel Rodrigues says
their Avalon Peninsula operation can’t
pass up an opportunity to alert people to
the fact quality wine is being made in
the province. It’s a “constant educational process,” he says — but Wine Fest is
a chance to expose discerning drinkers
to his product.
“It’s hard to gauge how overall sales
go for an event like this, but we gauge it
by getting new people to taste it. That’s
pretty much all it is: if I have 50 people
taste it I can pretty comfortably say that
a minimum of 10 per cent are going to
go out and buy it afterwards.”
But if you are hesitant about delving
into the world of grape varietals and
growing regions, fear not. Greene has
several tips for the tentative oenophile.
Rule No. 1: Pace yourself. Greene

says sampling too many wines will
overtax the taste buds. Better to start
with lighter whites, such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, and then follow
with a heavier Cabernet or Merlot. He
also recommends having a purpose.
Pick an Australian Shiraz or Italian
Chianti at different price points, and try
them together to decide which one you
like best.
And should tasters spit the sample
back into the glass or swallow the
wine for its full effect? Rodrigues
insists many of the hidden flavours of
his wines reveal themselves only after
a person allows the liquid to travel
around the taste buds, then swallows
and exhales. Plus, the former option
goes against his better instincts.
“I’m also a Newfoundlander. I think
it’s a waste to spit out booze at any
point.”
mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

A guide to reading a menu

Nicholas Gardner compiles a fine mock menu, then talks eaters through the good, bad and ugly

M

aking sense of a menu can
be a difficult and challenging thing to do, but it
shouldn’t read like a Robertson
Davies novel — confusing, complex
and esoteric enough to make you cry.
A menu is a road map, a guide of
what is on offer. It shouldn’t be hard
to navigate either. Simplicity is key.
Modern menus are difficult for a
reason: wordy descriptions make the
food seem more creative. I’m always
disappointed when reading a menu as
I feel somehow, whatever I order will

NICHOLAS
GARDNER
Off the Eating Path
not come up to the expectations of
what I had going in.
Compounding the problem is the
addition words, things like “organic,”
“fresh,” “natural,” “hand-made” and
“artisan.” Each word has its own
connotations and trappings.

With the mock menu below, I will
try to navigate you around the tricks,
the misleading words and hand you
the “road map” that is easier to use
than a GPS.
SOUPS
Sun-dried tomato and basil cream
soup
Sweet potato and maple bisque and
crisp kataffi spirals
As a rule, I tend to stay away from
soups in restaurants, even in the
darkest depths of winter. They tend to

be more a vehicle for large amounts
of cream and less in the way of highlighting a main element. So how do
you find the gems on the page? Look
for an interesting little balance, or
counterpoint — a drizzle of heady
infused oil, a dollop of crème fraiche,
or even the salty-briny pop of real
caviar.
SALADS
Spiced beef tips on spring greens
with Ketjap Manais reduction
As salads go I look for “named

produce” — Mayer Farms, etc. This
shows the product is coming fresh
and generally often to the establishment. If many or all salads on the list
have the same ingredients, they
don’t do enough to prep them. Stay
away.
Roasted garlic Caesar salad with
fresh anchovies
Caesar salads on a menu are for
picky eaters, unless the description
says something interesting. Here I
See “Simple,” page 26

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

26 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE

‘Simple, clean and beautiful’
From page 25
am tempted because of the
fresh, not the standard salted
anchovies — save your money
and stay clear.
HOT APPETIZERS
A trio sampler of tuna: tuna
tartar and candied grapes;
sesame seed crusted tuna pave
and port glace; and sashimi
tuna and warmed wasabiMirin reduction
Under a hot appetizer, both
hot and cold components? This
is a warning sign. It means that
the restaurant is attempting to
make the money by searing the
older, but still very expensive
product, and using the freshest
for raw. Also, be careful of hot
and cold together. Hot food can
be served on a cool plate, but
not vice versa.
Duo of spring rolls: shrimp
with spicy black bean and garlic, and salmon with mushrooms and leeks with spicy ginger and orange reduction.
This restaurant does not have
a menu filled with deep fried
items. This could indicate the
lack of a commercial fryer to
maximize crunchiness and heat
and reduce greasiness. This
choice has the potential to be
very greasy, heavy and overbalanced. Also be wary of solitary Asian fusion food, unless
it’s the specialty of the house.
MAIN
Venison rack trio, yellow
carrots on yellow corn polenta
“cake” and Cabernet-Merlot
reduction
The lone meat entrée. While

it is solitary, it could be a safe
bet. Meats on the bone, like
rack of lamb, tend to hold their
moisture and can be a good
buy.
Hard seared red snapper on
sautéed pea shoots and red
lentil pilaf on purée of pea and
ensnared by curry oil
Salmon chop on orange marmalade with braised endive
boats and ginger sauce
This is a good bet — oranges
and ginger go together like
peas in a pod, as well the
sweetness would break up the
bitterness of the endive.
DESSERT
“Chocolate drumstick” nestled on hazelnut biscotti, blackberry “paint” and chardonnay-mint infusion
A real mish-mash of flavours
here. While mint and chocolate
go together, I am not sure if a
Chardonnay is a sweet enough
for the mint to balance out the
chocolate.
A selection of artisan
cheeses
Cheeses as a dessert course
have been a staple of French
life for years. The test is simple: ask your server if the
cheeses are stored at room temperature. If the answer is no, or
if there’s a hesitation on the
part of your server, move on.
Olive Oil Gelato
Gelato made in house is very
difficult to get wrong. Simple,
clean and beautiful.
Nicholas Gardner is a freelance writer and erstwhile chef
living in St. John’s.
nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

Unwelcome
comebacks
When will Britney and Backstreet
finally allow themselves to sink
into obscurity?
By Ben Rayner
Torstar wire service

Y

esterday’s pop star, today’s disaster. Short of ’N Sync, there
were no bigger names with the
kiddies at the turn of the millennium
than Britney Spears and the Backstreet
Boys. Today, both acts will essentially
live or die based upon the performance
of new albums for which the music
industry holds guarded “comeback”
hopes.
Well, Britney’s not going anywhere.
It’s been four years since In the Zone
and the poor girl is still making the
news hourly, whether she’s losing custody of her children or getting arrested
or shaving her head or simply falling
out of a car drunk somewhere. Until a
nunnery beckons, this isn’t likely to
change, regardless of how Blackout or
anything to do with the music that was
once (sort of) her purpose does.
Blackout should do fine, by the way.
And this despite, or perhaps because of,
what sounds like Spears’s almost complete absence from the process that created it.
There’s not much evidence of
Britney’s involvement to be found
amidst the bumpin’ synthetic grooves
of high-priced folks like Timbaland
right-hand-man Danja, the Neptunes
and Toxic producers Bloodshy & Avant,
all of whom earn their keep here by
building an ace mainstream dance
record around the ghost of a star, who
left it to Pharrell Williams to write the
tell-all kiss-off to her ex-husband, Why
Should I Be Sad, that closes the album.
Spears didn’t even co-write the one
other tune on Blackout — the slinky,
fittingly dazed-sounding Bloodshy &
Avant concoction Piece of Me — that
makes reference to the apparent shambles of her personal life. Honestly, were
it not for the photos on the CD jacket,
you coulda told me this was the new
Paris Hilton album.
Vacant detachment yields a few
laughs on Blackout, admittedly. But if
career rehabilitation is Britney’s thing
these days, putting forth the appearance
of her own career as more than just an
afterthought to tabloid theatre might be
the wisest move.
Former boy-band moppets the
Backstreet Boys already tried one
comeback attempt with 2005’s Never
Gone and kinda failed at it, so heaven
only knows what possessed them to
continue down the same drab, adultcontemporary route to “maturity” on
Unbreakable.
Unbreakable plays like 51 minutes
trapped in a cab with the worst, most
bland “light rock, less talk” radio-station playlist in North America.
Too old to pull off teen-pop twaddle
like Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)
these days, the four remaining Boys
and their myriad collaborators now
rarely let their harmony-fuelled songs
of obvious heartache and flaccid seduction drift above a mild, mid-tempo
R&B gait, rounding out their whitesoul pretensions with swaths of featherweight Air Supply balladry.
It would be ghastly if it wasn’t so forgettable, but Unbreakable is so uninspired and devoid of hooks it’s reduced
to stealing melodies from hits like
Seal’s Kiss From a Rose to make the
odd song stick for more than its running
length. Don’t worry, though, a few
more seconds and they’re gone.

In large mixing bowl, beat egg
yolks with electric mixer on medium
speed until thick and lemon-coloured,
about two minutes. Gradually beat in
granulated sugar, mixing until fluffy.
Beat in flour mixture until blended.
Beat in five tablespoons pineapple
juice until blended. (Discard remaining juice or reserve for other uses.)
Scrape bowl.
In another large bowl, beat egg
whites with electric mixer on high
speed until stiff peaks form. Gently
fold into yolk mixture.
Pour batter evenly over pineapple
in baking dish. Bake in preheated
350F oven until tester in centre comes
out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on
rack 30 minutes. Invert on to serving
platter. Press a maraschino cherry into
centre of each pineapple ring.
Makes six large servings.

hen I wake alone in bed the
morning after a night
before, there might be a
problem. When I wake the morning
after a night before alone, fully
dressed and with contacts dried into
my eyes, I know there is. There will
undoubtedly be something I did, said,
thought out loud or otherwise took
part in that I will quite possibly regret
for a very, very long time.
I woke Sunday morning figuring
something was up. I could see the
time without squinting. Crap. That
meant I had been too “under the
weather” to remove my contacts and
Blair had been too pissed off to
remind me.
I was also very uncomfortable. The
reason? I was still dressed, head to
toe, in my Halloween costume.
(Ironically I was dressed as an angel
and, boy, were those wings killing
me.)
I checked to see if Blair was home
— it was possible he was still at the
party. I have a tendency to sneak off
home out of it when I’m done. While
no one rivals me at revelling, my
energetic “give ’er” style usually
wanes well before Blair — a patient,
paced sort of partier — is finished.
He was in the other bed. Not good.
Not good at all.
It’s not that this sort of thing happens often, but I have been in these
boots before, though never in a waistlength pink wig, two-inch gold eyelashes and a set of powder pink angel
wings.
I wracked my brain for some memory of the night before that might
make a semi-sober me cringe. I came
up blank. Usually there is some faint
memory, something that would make
me immediately swear off drinking
for eternity and then some. Nothing. I
had been good, I was sure of it.
Besides, I wasn’t really that drunk. (I
didn’t eat beforehand. It was only two

Home care: keep the cold out
and warmth in

R

oy Crawley of Handyman Home Hardware
in Villa Nova Plaza in Manuels says there’s
more to winterizing your home than checking and insulating windows and doors.
Still, that’s always a great place to start.
“Anything that gets you thinking on being prepared for a harsh Newfoundland and Labrador
winter is a good thing, so go ahead and start at the
obvious, but don’t stop there,” he advises.
“First you want to be warm, comfortable and
safe, but at the same time saving all the money you
can is also an important factor.”
Crawley suggests beginning with your outside
doors. “Check, and possibly change your door
sweeps,” he says. A door sweep is installed at the
bottom of any outside door and keeps warm air in
and cold air out. “They get broken and bend over
time and they don’t work as efficiently at stopping
drafts.”
Crawley says this is a simple do-it-yourself project requiring a few household tools.
He also mentions Draft Stop, a seasonal removable caulking that can be installed around windows
you don’t plan to open over the winter. “Just put it
on now and peel it off in the spring.”
There are also simple plastic draft shields that
can be installed with a hair dryer. “This is a lowcost, easy way to keep the heat in and the cold
out,” he says.
While you are working on managing drafts, pick
up foam backing for electrical outlets. “Take the
electrical plates that sit along exterior walls off,
install the foam, then put them back on,” he says.
It’s another simple way to stay warm and save
money.
Crawley also runs through a list of things to take
care of in the basement area of any home. Check
and change furnace filters, insulate exposed piping

to prevent it from breaking, wrap your hot water
boiler, use spray insulation to seal drafty spots,
insulate exposed concrete areas and check, then
use, your de-humidifier. Crawley says the list
could go on.
“Install a programmable thermostat on your
baseboard heaters or your furnace,” he says,
adding that timing them for just before you rise in
the morning or just before you come home can
keep you warm and save you money.
Installing timers on inside and outside lights also
have multiple benefits — first, for safety and security, and second, for energy savings.
Now is also the time to think about switching to
energy-efficient fluorescent lighting throughout
the home.
“Costs go up in the winter, so do whatever you
can to save yourself money,” he says.
There are many little things to keep in mind,
Crawley says. “Take in your water hose so you
don’t need to buy a new one in the spring, remove
yard lights so they don’t get damaged when you’re
clearing snow,” he says.
Crawley chuckles when he mentions his next tip,
one that deals with Christmas lighting. “I know it’s
early, but once Halloween is over, festive lights
soon follow,” he says. The best plan? Go with LED
lights — they use 80 per cent less energy than conventional ones.
Crawley advises every homeowner to drop into
a home improvement store and check with the
experts — then, follow their advice.
“There are so many things you can do that will
save you money and keep you cozy in your home,”
he says. “A little upkeep now can have huge
rewards later, and anything that helps ease the burden of one of our winters is certainly a good
thing.”

PAM
PARDY GHENT

Seven-day talk
glasses of wine. It must have been the
heat. I didn’t pass out — I was spinning and just lay down for a moment.
Yeah, yeah, used them all.) But this
time it was true — the spinning one
anyway.
I was pretty sure I remembered the
entire evening. I wondered what I
could have done.
I crawled into the bed beside Blair,
knowing (sadly, from experience) that
his reaction would at least tell me
where I stood on the trouble scale. A
grunt was minor. A grunt before a turn
over was moderate. He turned away
without a sound, the worst reaction
possible.
Feeling too ill to deal with the
drama I knew would follow, I did
something very unlike me — I left
him alone, figuring he would let me
know soon enough.
That he did.
My crime? First, I referred to
another man as “eye candy.” Not
once, but continuously throughout the
evening. I also, according to Blair,
rubbed another man’s shoulders —
not Mr. Eye Candy’s, mind you —
despite the “stop-that-right-now”
looks my husband swears he was
shooting my way. He also claimed I
“gleefully” ignored his dirty look
protestations.
For that I slept in angel wings and
underwire bra?
Not to make light of my husband’s
hurt feelings, but in my defence, he
was wearing a wig that night (exactly
like mine except his was purple.) He
also has bushy eyebrows and a moustache (his own, not fake) so with all
that hair, I swear I saw no “look.”

I may have appeared “gleeful,” but
it certainly wasn’t because I was
ignoring my spouse. The eye-candy
thing? It was a joke between this other
woman and myself. We called a few
men that during the night, including
my dashing husband.
The shoulder massage? Somewhat
guilty as charged, but it was nothing. I
was leaning over this young fella trying to read song lyrics (yeah, I sing
when I drink — loudly, and quite
poorly, I’m told) and I did touch his
shoulders during the two songs I sang
while I stood behind him. But that, I
swear, was it.
While I felt being mad at me for
such mild indiscretions seemed petty,
I still said I was sorry and meant it.
Why? Because this was Blair’s second morning home and he only had
seven more to go before he headed
back west. His next time here will be
for two weeks over Christmas.
Fighting is not how I want to spend
such short, precious time. I also realized that the old Blair — or the preAlberta working Blair — would have
never minded my actions, but a husband who is hardly around tends to
look at such things a little differently.
I got that. Because I could see what I
had done through the eyes of a workaway husband, I was sickeningly
sorry.
Blair sensed my sincerity and
offered that my behaviour was really
not that bad.
I was off the hook — this time.
Since I’m swearing off drinking
(again), there won’t be “a next time,”
I told myself. No more waking up
alone when Blair’s home for me, I
thought.
Of course, I could always tear the
sheets off the spare bed before we go
out anywhere, perhaps hide the spare
duvets and chuck the pillows. You
know, just in case.
pamelamichpardy@yahoo.com

the Baptist, St. John’s.
• The Craft Council of Newfoundland and
Labrador Fine Craft and Design Fair: Come and
Meet Your Maker, St. John’s Convention Centre,
until Nov. 11.
• Ethereal La Bonne Chanson and other unpublished works from France, performance by
Caroline Schiller and MUN Music Faculty, D.F.
Cook Recital Hall, 737-4700.

THE ALL NEW 2008 HONDA ACCORD
Introducing a new level of Accord. A new level of sophistician. It’s lower, wider, larger and with its aggressive stance and flawless aerodynamics, it’s a shining example of everything a concept car wants to be – real. A new level of exhilaration. It’s quicker, sharper, and more fuel efficient. And with one of the most powerful engines you’ll find in a Honda and a surplus of innovative standard features, it’s everything a next generation sedan should be. Under the hood of
the Accord, horsepower and fuel efficiency come to life in the shape of a performance-inspired, exceptionally low-emission i-VTEC engine. Visit one today at City Honda, Kenmount Road, St. John’s.
Nicholas Langor/The Independent

Automobile ads
hit and miss
I

saw an ad the other day for a used know if it’s just me, or the ads themcar dealership advising you that if selves. A Chevy truck advertised as
you changed your mind,
lasting the longest caught my
you could return the car
eye. I’m not impressed with
you’d purchased.
the newest shiny toys anyThe spot was American
more. I have great respect for
(we Canucks would never be
people that treat their vehiso foolhardy as to give
cles well and make them last.
someone such a choice) and
I’m currently driving my
sandwiched between promlast lease — the manufacturises of a houseful of carpet
ers are now producing cars
delivered to your door
built to last for a long time,
LORRAINE
overnight and a hardware
and it seems disgraceful to
SOMMERFELD
store owner who dances like
play “that’s so last year” with
my father used to after drinksuch a huge purchase.
ing at weddings.
Learning preventative mainReturn a car? Here, you
tenance is a win for the envican’t return a car if the
ronment, as well as the car
engine drops out of it as you round the owner. Accordingly, I’ll be paying
corner from whoever sold it to you. attention to manufacturers that encourEveryone insists on fixing it, even age me to keep and maintain their vehithough you know it’s cursed and never cle, rather than tempting me to trade in
want to see it again. Could “Sorry, it and up.
doesn’t match my wife’s new purse,”
And then, there is poor Kelsey
now be a plausible reason?
Grammer, valiantly trying to tick off all
Those annoying “zoom zoom” ads the ways that a Hyundai sedan is better
have been pointed at as making young than a similar BMW. Well, sort of simpeople drive too fast. The only thing I ilar. I’ll say this up front: I thought it
get from them is the unhealthy thought was a spoof ad the first time I heard it.
of wanting to smack that kid who Let me be blunt. Frasier, there is no
spooks into the frame like some tiny way anyone is facing the conundrum of
funeral director. And now they have trying to decide between a Hyundai
that computer-generated roadway and a Beemer. That bridge doesn’t span
spelling out the “zoom zoom,” you that river.
have to agree it would be way more
Volkswagen had an ad I thought was
about fabulous handling than over-the- fabulous. Two guys chatting as they
top speed.
drive along, until a pickup backing
I’ve finally started seeing a change
in some quarters, however, and I don’t
See “Like a,” page 30

POWER
SHIFT

‘It’s a friggin’ boat’
I

flicked away a car recently, dis- my fill of schemers and dreamers lookposed of it unceremoniously, bid a ing at the old truck and even more peofond farewell and left it right where ple phoning up and talking at great
it was. It sounds a lot nastier than nec- length about nothing at all. I saw my
essary, but it was heading back to the brother-in-law explode once — he had
earth from whence it came. I got my a small boat for sale and the phone just
about melted. He answered it
money’s worth out of it and
for the 100th time that mornsince my last acquisition I
ing, said hello and roared,
found myself overstocked
“She’s pointy in the front and
and more desirous of an extra
square in the back, it’s a friparking space than an extra
gin’ boat,” before slamming
car. Its many bladders were
down the receiver. Obstill able to contain their
viously some idiot had the
appropriate fluids but that
guts to inquire of his vessel
was not a desirable enough
MARK
in the most impolite terms —
attribute, nor was the fact that
WOOD
“What’s she like?”
it ran perfectly and everything
That’s pretty much what I
above the waterline also
WOODY’S was going through when I
seemed to work well.
Its entire suspension was at
WHEELS lost my patience and gave the
old wooden-back truck to my
fault, every bushing and balljoint needed replacing, but what pushed ridiculous friend. It stayed in my yard
it over the financial edge was the fact for about a week afterwards — somethat it needed an entire exhaust system. one else’s wreck — before he worked
Like a large, disposable lighter, I up the nerve to ask if he could give it to
flicked it away — but properly. It went someone else. Sure, as long as he
to my local automotive recycler who moved it; which he did — finally.
Like any good story, it should get
took its carcass legally and efficiently.
There was a time when I’d try to sell outlandish right about now, and as my
such a carcass or give it away. I did memory serves me particularly sharp, it
both on the same day once, with disas- does. The second twit who took possession of my truck gave it away again, to
trous results.
The story begins at a garage sale, a local vertical-lateral idiot savant
which featured three vehicles with (which, loosely translated, means a perprices from $150 to $250. The phone son who is a drooling doofus standing
rang off the hook. Some lucky guy up and a genius lying down — my
drove off with a little hatchback and term) who I was fond of writing about
successfully transplanted the motor. in another publication.
The station wagon went to a ridiculous
He expostulated the potential of such
friend of mine who traded some musi- a fine means of locomotion, resplencal equipment for it. He also expressed dent with its organic arse, and had it
interest in the third vehicle, an old towed post haste to the local garage
wooden-back truck. I just about had with instructions to lavish it with new-

Stop a heart attack before it starts.
Your support is vital.
Research into the root causes of heart disease and stroke will
help millions live longer, healthier lives. As a leading funder
of heart and stroke research in Canada, we need your help.
Call 1-888-HSF-INFO or visit www.heartandstroke.ca

The station wagon went
to a ridiculous friend
of mine who traded
some musical equipment
for it. He also expressed
interest in the third vehicle,
an old wooden-back truck.
ness, sparing no expense. Fortunately
the proprietor took no heed of his vertical-lateral idiot savantness. Indeed,
even as the scoundrel was vertical he
moved laterally, leaving town without
settling the towing charge and also
leaving his girlfriend high and dry in
the process. Much to our collective
mirth too, I might add, there’s never a
dull moment around here. Within a
week the girlfriend called me up
inquiring about the truck, seeing how
her ex was the last one who owned it.
Perhaps she was entitled to possession
and could sell it for parts. Maybe even
give it away again? I visited the garage
where the truck was and listened to the
proprietor’s amusing tale. “Three guys
and a missus called me up, said they all
owned the truck and told me to sell
what I could off it and give them half,”
he said.
These days I just flick away my old
cars. I don’t need the drama.
Mark Wood of Portugal Cove-St.
Philip’s has dropped off more than a
few cars at Vatcher’s.

30 • INDEPENDENTSHIFT

‘Like a tiny
horror movie’

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

WORLD SOLAR CHALLENGE

From page 29
from a driveway suddenly crashes
into them, hard. It made me jump the
first time, and every time thereafter.
It’s like a tiny horror movie (or
ketchup commercial) where the anticipation makes me keep watching.
Focusing on faces instead of fenders
is a terrific way to highlight the safety features.
Sometimes manufacturers have to
be careful not to make an ad too great.
There’s one currently running with
mountain climbers, and the requisite
tough guy going on and on about his
requisite toughness. And of course
down rappels a daddy with a baby in
a backpack, busting the guy’s chops
about the vehicle being for normal
people.
Unfortunately, my most lasting
impression of that ad isn’t the brand;
it’s the mini daschund in the orange
helmet swinging from the daddy’s
climbing gear.
It’s the dog I want to go buy.
www.lorraineonline.ca

Canada's solar car Esteban IV competes in the qualifying laps for the World Solar Challenge race in Darwin, which begins this weekend. The World Solar Challenge is a biennial event where teams are required to
research, build and design vehicles capable of completing the 3,000 km journey from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia.
World Solar Challenge/Reuters

WEEKLY STARS
ARIES
(MAR. 21 TO APR. 19)
A rejection of your attempt to be
friendly leaves you with two
choices: Try again, or give up. If
you want to make another effort,
go slowly. Let things develop without pressure.
TAURUS
(APR. 20 TO MAY 20)
It could be a problem dealing with
unfamiliar people who do things
differently from what you’re used
to. But rely on that strong sense of
purpose to get you through this difficult period.
GEMINI
(MAY 21 TO JUNE 20)
To avoid neglecting a personal
matter because of a demanding
new workplace schedule, start prioritizing immediately. Knowing
how to apportion your time takes a
little while to set up.
CANCER
(JUNE 21 TO JULY 22)

It won’t be easy to avoid some of
the pressures that come with
change. Best advice: Take things a
step at a time, and you’ll be less
likely to trip up while things are in
a chaotic state.
LEO
(JULY 23 TO AUG. 22)
A much-talked-about workplace
change could be coming up soon.
Be sure to get all the details
involved in the process, and once
you have them, you can decide
how you want to deal with it.
VIRGO
(AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22)
You might still believe that your
trust was betrayed, although the
facts would appear to prove the
opposite. But by the week’s end
you should learn something that
will help set the record straight.
LIBRA
(SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22)
Holiday plans could be a challenge
because of shifting circumstances.

But a more settled period starts by
midweek, allowing you to firm up
your plan-making once and for all.
SCORPIO
(OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21)
The facts continue to be on your
side. So make use of them in dealing with any challenge to your stated position. Also, open your mind
to the offer of help from an unlikely source.
SAGITTARIUS
(NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21)
There could still be a communication problem holding up the resolution of a troublesome situation.
Stay with it, and eventually your
message will get through and be
understood.
CAPRICORN
(DEC. 22 TO JAN.19)
A possible change in your workplace schedule might create a
chaotic situation for a while. But
once things begin to settle down,
you might find that this could work

to your advantage.
AQUARIUS
(JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18)
A recent job-linked decision might
need to be reassessed because of
the possibility of finding benefits
you might have overlooked. Check
out all related data to help in the
search.
PISCES
(FEB. 19 TO MAR. 20)
A personal situation you agreed to
might not be as acceptable to the
other person involved in the matter. Avoid pressuring and bullying.
Instead, seek common ground by
talking things through.
YOU BORN THIS WEEK
You have a gift for touching people’s minds as well as their hearts.
You would be an outstanding educator.
(c) 2007 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Fill in the grid so that each row of nine squares, each column of nine and each section of nine (three squares by
three) contains the numbers 1 through 9 in any order.
There is only one solution to each puzzle. Solutions, tips
and computer program available at www.sudoko.com
SOLUTION ON PAGE 32

INDEPENDENTSPORTS

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2-8, 2007 — PAGE 31

Malorie Harris of the Memorial Sea-Hawks Women’s soccer team practises at King George V field, St. John’s.

Nicholas Langor/The Independent

Showing the way
Mount Pearl midfielder Malorie Harris a field general for Sea-Hawk team looking to win AUS title
By Don Power
For The Independent

R

emember Frank Miller, the former Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer who directed
traffic at the corner of Duckworth and
Prescott Streets in St. John’s? In action,
he was a constant in a sea of motion.
Cars and trucks whizzed by him in all
directions, orchestrated by Miller’s
measured arm movements.
It looked chaotic, yet was actually
very organized. Miller was in total control.
Watch Malorie Harris on the soccer
pitch, and you’ll get the same feeling.
The third-year Memorial Sea-Hawk
mid-fielder is an island of calm in a sea
of stormy players scurrying about. Part
field general, part traffic cop, part
megaphone, Harris directs players the
way Miller directed vehicles.
Harris — named co-captain this season — is a whirling dervish of activity:
pointing for a teammate to get here,
calling to another one to mark her player, constantly chattering, head seeming-

ly on a swivel, before taking control of
the ball (and in some instances, the
game) herself. It’s how she plays. It’s
how she’s always played.
“It comes to me naturally,” Harris
shrugs, unable to explain the phenomenon. “Last year Jess Wade was captain,
but I always felt like I had to step up, I
had to be there. It’s in my nature to step
up. A lot of people expect a lot of me,
and I want to do well for myself.”
Doing well for herself meant doing
well for the entire team.
“There are only a few players in the
league that have the ability to control a
game from the middle of the field,” says
her MUN Sea-Hawks soccer coach Walt
Mavin. “And she can do it all.
“She’s the type of player every coach
in the league wishes they had, and they
talk of her often.”
It’s a good thing, too, Mavin says,
because this year, Harris was asked to
do it all. With Memorial’s roster filled
with talented but inexperienced firstyear players, Harris’s role expanded.
She’d always been counted on to supply
offence (she scored seven goals in each

of the last two seasons), but this year,
more was required. With key veterans,
like the injured Laura Breen, not in the
lineup, Mavin fielded a young team all
season. The coach wanted and needed
Harris to take on a leadership role, and
she responded in spades.
Wednesday, her efforts were rewarded when she was named to the AUS first
all-star team.
“She was critical to taking an even
bigger leadership role,” Mavin says,
“with the loss of Laura and some other
experienced players, like Jess Wade and
Leslie Pope. It was critical for someone
like Malorie to step forward to take on
that role, and she’s done that admirably
this year, especially on the field.
“She’s the type of player that when
teams are preparing to play against us,
she’s one of the focuses for them. For
example, Friday against UPEI, I know
Mike Redmond, their coach, is a big fan
of Malorie’s, but he’s facing her and
they’ll be talking about how they’re
going to stop her.”
The ironic part about Harris’s leadership abilities is they only show up after

the ball is put into play. Before the whistle, Harris is a relatively quiet 20-yearold who goes about her business. Once
the game starts and the 90 minutes starts
ticking down, however, she morphs into
another person.
“I expect more than what people
expect of me,” Harris says. “Because I
am captain and I’m in the centre of the
field, if I have a bad game, then I feel
like I let the whole team down. If I have
a bad game, I feel like everybody had a
bad game.
“Being named co-captain didn’t
change me at all. I didn’t change my
attitude or personality. I didn’t try to
step up and take control of everybody
else. I didn’t want to be intimidating.
I’m still at the same level as everybody
and the same age as everybody. I’m just
the one who pipes up on the field. I’m
the motivator.”
But only on the field?
“It’s my game when the whistle
blows,” she says by way of explanation.
“It’s what I’ve lived for, pretty much.
See “She has the ability,” page 32

Where have all the players gone?
Keeping senior hockey players becoming more and more difficult

I

n the late 1970s, one of my
favourite activities was to head
down to Memorial Stadium and
take in a senior hockey game.
Whether it was Saturday night or
Sunday afternoon (or, if memory
serves, an occasional mid-week
game), watching the Shamrocks or
Blue Caps was a great way to spend
three hours.
Even through the 1980s and ’90s,
watching local hockey was an enjoyable way to spend an evening — especially since it was, by then, considered
work for me.
These days, I still enjoy watching
local hockey, except it’s becoming

Fig.16

DON POWER

Power Point
more and more difficult. Yes, my life
is busy and finding time to attend a lot
of games is not easy. But the bigger
problem lies in the fact it’s getting
harder and harder to find local hockey
games to watch.
Or real games, at least. Actual
league games. The St. John’s Junior
Hockey League plays a full schedule
with eight teams, but finding a senior

league just got tougher. That’s because
the Avalon East Senior Hockey
League this season will consist of just
three teams, and only one of them is
based in the capital city. (Torbay will
play out of Feildian Gardens, while
the Southern Shore will skate in
Mobile and the CeeBees in Harbour
Grace.)
How can a city the size of St. John’s
not have a senior hockey team? I
know the three teams just mentioned
are filled with players from the capital
city. But with Mount Pearl out of the
picture, this season at least, isn’t it
embarrassing the largest centres in the
province can’t ice one senior squad?

And while embarrassment may not
be a problem, the larger question
remains: where have all the hockey
players gone?
Take a quick look around at the various hockey rinks in the region, and all
are filled to capacity during primetime
hours seven days a week.
Granted, minor hockey takes up a
large portion of the hours, as does private hockey in some instances. And
there are other users, like school hockey or figure skating. But for the most
part, the nighttime hours are filled
with recreational hockey games, filled
with guys who have families, jobs,
mortgages and other responsibilities.

These skates are now the norm.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of former
hockey players are still playing, albeit
as pure recreation.
Decades ago, if you weren’t capable
of playing senior hockey, there were
any number of intermediate leagues to
occupy your time. Some guys played
in more than one league.
Today, there aren’t even any intermediate leagues to speak of.
Why?
Minor hockey, at least in the capital
city region, has thousands of kids registered. Sure the numbers shrink as the
See “Lost teeth,” page 32

32 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

A link to the outdoors

The Internet has opened the door to advice, cheap gear and endless online fly-tying lessons
PAUL SMITH

The Rock

Outdoors

M

y, how the World Wide Web
has changed the outdoor
world. I’m planning a saltwater fly-fishing trip to the Caribbean next
summer, and this particular aspect of my
favourite sport is totally new to me.
What fly-lines to use, which flies will
produce, what clothing will keep me
from cooking in the sun? These are all
questions that need to be answered.
Twenty years ago, the only research
choices were books, magazines and
chatting with more experienced anglers.
The local bookstores don’t, and never
did, carry specialty books on topics like
tarpon fishing. Magazines run the occasional piece on angling in the tropics, but
not many people around these parts are
overflowing with knowledge about the
bonefish flats.
Ah, but now we have the Internet, that
endless and bottomless source of information on everything imaginable. It
knows all about bonefish, permit and tarpon — their biology, where to catch
them, what gear and techniques to use.
There are websites dedicated to saltwater
fly-fishing in the Caribbean and you can
chat by e-mail with very experienced
fishers.
If the right flies, rods and reels aren’t
available locally, you can purchase them
online through the many e-stores that
sell the best equipment at fair prices
without the overhead of brick, glass and
mortar. Orvis, the biggest fly-fishing
outfitter of all, has their full product line
available online. You can sit on the
couch with your laptop and order all the
fishing gear you could ever possibly
want or need.
You can also read product reviews
posted by fishers just like yourself on
non-commercial sites like www.flyanglersonline.com. Check out the fly patterns while you’re at it, this site has the

Paul Smith photo

most comprehensive and in-depth database of fly patterns for every imaginable
sort of fly-fishing. Each pattern file
includes photos and detailed tying steps.
They even have a fly-tying course you
can take for free online.
For anglers on a budget who might
want to buy used, there’s the mother of
all markets — EBay. If EBay doesn’t
have it, you either don’t need it or you
have really peculiar tastes. All manner of
new and used fishing tackle is available
on EBay.
My fishing buddy Matt has bought

wading boots, rods and reels all at fantastic prices. Since most of the online
stuff is in the U.S., now is a great time to
buy while the loonie is soaring. And it
works both ways. EBay is a great place
to sell stuff that you no longer need or
wish to upgrade.
And if you’re in the market for a new
rifle or shotgun, the Internet should definitely be your first stop. There aren’t
many retail locations in Newfoundland
that carry a wide selection of shootin’
irons. The market and demand just isn’t
there. But each and every manufacturer

‘Lost teeth … no thanks’
From page 31
players age, but there are enough players for a four-team Doug Marshall
League, a Tri-Com League, the major
midget set-up and house leagues.
After that, the junior league still has
seven teams, although down one with
the collapse of Trinity-Placentia.
Natural attrition will see the number
of competitive players shrink as they
advance through the various age
groups. But once you get to senior —
with no age cap restricting play — the
number drops dramatically.
It’s not like these guys have given
up hockey. It’s just that they’ve given
up playing competitive hockey.
Actually, that’s not right either, since
I’ve seen a few “rec games” that are

very competitive.
Whatever you want to call it, some
of the best hockey you’ll see right now
is at your local arena at 8 or 9 p.m.
each night.
The downward spiral of senior
hockey began in the 1990s, when
hockey’s dirty side became exposed.
The stick work involved in those
games left many players bruised and
battered. During those years, the game
was played in a very physical manner.
Hooking, slashing and any other
form of stick work was very prevalent.
Suddenly, going to a Sunday night
league game meant you were taking a
chance on not showing up to work
Monday.
Remember the families, jobs and
mortgages I mentioned? More and

Solutions for crossword on page 30

Solutions for sudoku on page 30

of guns has a website and displays all the
details about their full product line.
For instance, if you’re interested in a
Savage rifle check out www.savagearms.com, where you’ll find detailed
information and photos of every rifle
they make. Remington, Browning and
other top brands have similar websites.
Buying a gun online is slightly more
complicated. EBay does not deal in
firearms and it’s quite a hassle, if not
impossible, for a citizen in Canada to
import guns from the U.S. or any other
country. Only certified and licensed

dealers can import guns.
But the Canadian outdoor superstores
like SIR, LeBaron and Russell’s
Sporting Goods have their product lines
displayed on the Internet. You can order
online, but for guns you have to give
them a call on their toll-free line and provide them with your firearms licence
info. It typically takes a week to 10 days
to receive a rifle or shotgun via Canada
Post.
If you are on the hunt for a top-quality riflescope or a premium binocular, do
your homework online. Again, all manufacturers such as Zeiss, Leupold,
Bushnell, Nikon and Swarovski have
detailed information on their websites.
In addition, there are several retail
websites that specialize in optics and sell
at bargain prices compared to traditional
sporting goods stores. E-stores such as
www.riflescopes.com and www.bearbasin.com are kind of like the Wal-Mart
of optics and turn over huge inventories
in a niche market by selling worldwide.
Again our high Canadian dollar makes
this a very attractive option.
I’ve never had any difficulty with
riflescopes crossing the Canadian-U.S.
border but the U.S. postal service (priority mail) is the best way to order. The
major private courier services charge
some pretty outrageous brokerage fees
for moving goods through Canadian customs.
There’s another e-store I’ve shopped
at called www.cheaperthandirt.com that
sells just about everything outdoors at
discount prices. Their inventory is mind
boggling — a great place to do virtual
window-shopping. And if you are
inclined to repair or customize your own
guns you have to check out
www.brownells.com.
Above all else, you can chat to all
your buddies about fishing and hunting no matter where in the world they
might be.
Paul Smith is a freelance writer and outdoors enthusiast living in Spaniard’s
Bay.
flyfishtherock@hotmail.com

‘She has the ability to lead’
more players were suddenly men
with these responsibilities. Many
were also waking up to the realization
that playing in those leagues just wasn’t worth it. The jabs, the fights, the
nicks and cuts, the stitches, the lost
teeth … no thanks, the players said in
droves.
Yet they still had those competitive
fires, so they took these same teammates and moved to a more casual
skate, perhaps with no body contact or
stickwork.
So if you’re looking for senior
hockey players, drop by a rink any
night of the week, and you’ll find
them. They’ll be playing hockey and
having fun.
donniep@nl.rogers.com

From page 31
“I used to be a shy person off the
field, but as soon as I’m on the field,
I feel like I know what I’m talking
about and I’m not afraid to pipe up
about it. I don’t know why that happens. I’d like to know that myself.”
Harris has been a standout soccer
player for a number of years, playing
on Mount Pearl and provincial age
group teams. This year, she was a
key performer for Mount Pearl’s
Jubilee Trophy-winning senior
women’s team, scoring 27 goals in
league play. And while the summer
game is enjoyable, it’s the Atlantic
University Sport season she lives for.
That’s why this year has been so
much fun. Harris expected this to be
a rebuilding year, because of the
young roster. (Truth be known,
Mavin did, too.) However, thanks to
her strong play, a team-leading eight
goals from freshman Maxine Morris,
and the team’s depth of talent, MUN
finished with an 8-3-2 record, and in
third place.
On Nov. 2, MUN faces UPEI in a
quarterfinal match that has Mavin
and Harris excited. Both feel they
match up well with the Panthers, and
are confident MUN has what it takes
to at least reach the final, if not win.
“I’m looking forward to this
weekend,” Mavin says. “It seems as

“When someone gives
an extra effort, it tends
to bring them up.
That’s what we’re looking
for. Malorie certainly has
the ability to do that.”
Coach Walt Mavin
though during the regular season —
Cape Breton for example last Sunday
— this team seems to have the ability
to rise to the occasion. They seem to
rally around each other. When they
get on a mission, they’re a very good
team, even though they don’t have a
lot of experience in this league. When
they’re on their game, they can compete with anybody in this league, no
doubt.
“When someone gives an extra
effort, it tends to bring them up.
That’s what we’re looking for.
Malorie certainly has the ability to
do that. She has the ability to lead
and to bring the level of play up for
her teammates.”
donniep@nl.rogers.com

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 33

Leafs’ coach and
GM safe for now
‘We run same gauntlet of emotions as fans,
but we cannot react to fans’: club president
By Mark Zwolinski
Torstar wire service

L

eafs GM John Ferguson and
coach Paul Maurice are not
under a “death watch” because
of their team’s poor performance on
home ice and mercurial start to the season, says club president Richard
Peddie.
But Peddie says the mood within the
board at Maple Leaf Sports and
Entertainment was decidedly dour after
a 7-1 loss to Washington Oct. 29 which
marked the most disappointing game of
the young season.
That mood grows darker with each
loss, but lightens with a win, Peddie
says. But for the moment, the board
won’t fire its coach or GM based on
some poor early season trends that are
drawing boos from fans, criticism in
the media and suggestions that both the
GM and coach should be fired.
“There isn’t a Ferguson watch out
there, there isn’t a Maurice watch out
there,” Peddie says. “The owners are
human and they are fans, too. We run
the same gauntlet of emotions as the

fans, but at the same time, we cannot
react to fans … there has to be a clear,
balanced look at the team based on
trends.”
Those trends right now see strong
evidence that the current roster will
struggle to maintain a .500 record, a
mark which would definitely leave
them shy of the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Ferguson’s job security is directly
tied to the team breaking its playoff
drought, but Maurice’s may or may not
have an extended grace period.
“We’re not happy at .500,” Peddie
says. “Eighty-one points won’t make
the playoffs. If we’d won (Monday)
and we’re two games over .500, I’m
happy today. John and Paul were as
upset as I was. It (the loss to
Washington) didn’t sit well with the
owners, either.
“But … if you say you win two
games, contract extension, or lose two
games, contract termination … that’s
not the way we want to run things
around here. There has to be a measured response here.”
Peddie readily conveyed his discon-

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice looks up at the scoreboard during the third period of their NHL hockey game against the
Washington Capitals in Toronto Oct. 29.
Mike Cassese/Reuters

tent at the Leafs’ latest result, but some
of the focus for the board gets deflected
with three off-days before the next
game and the Raptors taking over centre stage at the Air Canada Centre.
The Leafs’ next four games are on
the road, a place where they appear to
be a less complicated, more confident
team.
For now, though, the season is
young, and the board remains in a spec-

ulative stance.
“We’re all under review, and by all I
mean the CEO and everyone in the
organization, we’re all under review,
but these things are confidential
because we’re dealing with people’s
lives,” Peddie says.
“John has a contract, Paul has a contract. We’re reviewing their performance … if we do something it will be
done after consultations (with both

When ducats are dear

The average fan is being priced out of the market for good seats at games ... so what else is new?
By Cathal Kelly
Torstar wire service

F

ans will pay almost anything to get
close to the action of their favourite
team. For most budgets, “almost anything” isn’t nearly enough these days.
A single courtside seat at a Raptors game
now costs $1,600. That’s a relative bargain
compared to the same spot at a New York
Knicks ($3,000 US) or LA Lakers ($2,300)
contest. Sitting alongside the Maple Leafs’
bench will cost you $405, if you can find a
ticket.
Those are staggering numbers. But taking
a long view, the cost of attending a sports
match is moving toward the price point that’s
held for most of history — one accessible
only to the super rich. The relative affordability of sports events through most of the
20th century is actually the historical anomaly.
Until the 19th century, going to a game
cost nothing.
“What we’d call sporting events were displays of public generosity put on by rulers,”
says John McClelland of the University of
Toronto. He’s the author of the recent book,
Body and Mind: Sport in Europe from the
Roman Empire to the Renaissance.
The event might have been free, but getting there entailed some doing. Aristocrats in
Greece and Rome might travel with a large
entourage for days or weeks to attend an
Olympics. From food to transportation, the
cost was enormous.
And even two millennia ago, fans were
paying princely sums to rub shoulders with
their idols.
“Upper-class Romans sometimes fought as
gladiators for their own amusement,”
McClelland says. However, they fought in
rigged competitions with blunt weapons. The
emperor Commodus famously loved to compete in bloodsport.
Later, western European aristocrats attending jousts and chivalric games paid similar
fortunes to travel to tournaments. Locals
could watch for free if they were able to find
a tree branch or rooftop with good sightlines.
There were exceptions. Those who wanted
to attend the famed Palio horse race in Siena
had to rent an apartment overlooking the
course — the city’s streets — to view the
event. The philosopher Montaigne complained that he couldn’t see a thing from his
expensive vantage point. Some enterprising
businessmen erected temporary grandstands
and sold tickets.
Spectators arriving from as far afield as
England paid the modern equivalent of $750
for balcony spots overlooking the gruesome
execution of Robert Damiens, would-be
assassin of French king Louis XV, in 1757.
More than a hundred years later, fans
began to pay for tickets to sporting events
more recognizable to the modern spectator
— soccer in England, baseball in the U.S.
For the first few decades, the cost was sur-

When Maple Leaf Gardens
opened its doors in 1931, the
top ticket price was $2.95. As a
result, the crowd looked quite
different from the audience that
had been closest to the action
for hundreds of years.

Toronto Raptors' Anthony Parker runs past fans in Toronto.

prisingly affordable. When Maple Leaf
Gardens opened its doors in 1931, the top
ticket price was $2.95. As a result, the crowd
looked quite different from the audience that
had been closest to the action for hundreds of
years. Nowadays, we’re reverting to the previous standard, with investment bankers sitting in place of nobles.
McClelland calls the current craze for tickets close to the action an “unusual phenomenon” in history because sports have become
divorced from the social elements that once
surrounded them. In the past, one might have
paid a bundle to go to a joust, but once there
got to enjoy a two-week party. A basketball
game starts at the buzzer and ends two hours
later.
“I couldn’t have believed a couple of years
ago that anybody could be so dumb,”
McClelland says about the money being
thrown around to watch a single game these
days.
So McClelland cautions about judging the
future of sport from its recent past. But con-

REUTERS/J.P. Moczulski

sider this analogy, for what it’s worth. In
Rome, gladiatorial games became so popular
as the empire drew to its close that they were
considered necessary to mark every significant social or political occasion. One contemporary account describes a wealthy
Roman named Symmachus sending notices
as far afield as Scotland and Spain in search
of horses, fighting dogs and gladiators, all to
be used for a festival celebrating the appointment of his son to a high political post.
The cost eventually grew so exorbitant that
the practice was suddenly abandoned.
Shortly after 400 A.D., the many coliseums
the Romans had built to stage the games
went quiet. In 476 A.D., the empire was
overrun by barbarians, who didn’t play
sports.
By 600 A.D., almost no one living in the
former Roman Empire could remember
why the coliseums had been built. In the historical blink of an eye, an entire sporting
culture had priced itself out of collective
memory.

men).
“But there isn’t a watch on (Ferguson
or Maurice) out there.”
Peddie would not say how long the
board is prepared to watch if the club’s
inconsistent trend continues.
“Even 10 games over .500 may not
do it,” Leafs captain Mats Sundin says.
“I don’t think we’re a bad hockey team,
but at the same time we have to win
some games, we have to be better.”

34 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

Raptors will defend crown
By Dave Feschuk
Torstar wire service

I

n an ad currently running on ESPN,
Stephen A. Smith, the talking head,
makes the case for the NBA’s Eastern
renaissance.
“The West is not dominant anymore,
man!” exclaims Smith. “There’s parity in
the NBA right now! You look at Boston,
Chicago, Detroit, Orlando, New Jersey,
Cleveland – the New York Knicks!”
That’s seven teams Smith rattles off —
seven — and not one of them Toronto’s.
Meanwhile, none of the respondents to
the NBA’s annual general manager survey picks the Raptors to repeat as
Atlantic Division champs. Sports
Illustrated has Canada’s team heading
into the playoffs as the eighth seed. Even
the folks in Vegas have six teams as
shorter-odds selections than Toronto to
win the Eastern title.
Considering the Raptors are young and
improving and started the season against
the 76ers on the heels of a 47-win season,
you’re entitled to ask what gives. It is,
like Smith’s blather, not particularly

sophisticated.
Despite compelling evidence, many
Americans don’t seem convinced that
basketball is a game won by teams, not
by collections of stars. It’s the only way
to explain the fuss surrounding, say, the
thinly concocted Boston Celtics, who are
more shallow than the political discourse
in many of the red states but are Eastern
favourites in many well-read spaces.
“When you do those pre-season polls,
it’s whoever has the most stars on their
team,” says Chris Bosh, Toronto’s lone
all-star. “We’re more of a unit … we
know things can go really wrong when
you get individual egos everywhere.”
Bosh is both sincere and correct in his
assessment, which is why these Raptors,
no matter the skepticism south of the
49th, will win north of 50 games this season, along with their first playoff series
since 2001. The Celtics, the pre-season
darlings who brought in Kevin Garnett
and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce (and
who else?), aren’t congealed enough or
deep enough to win as many — not in
their first year together, not in an age in
which withstanding injuries has become

Toronto Raptors’ Chris Bosh.

one of the unsung strengths of good
teams.
Not much has changed on the Eurotinged big-smoke roster, of course
(although Jason Kapono, the designated
shooter, is a fine pickup). So for Toronto
to win the Atlantic again (and they will)
their one player with significant
unleashed potential, Italy’s Andrea
Bargnani, must assert himself as Bosh’s

REUTERS/Sergio Perez

sous-star. That’s inevitable, to these eyes.
And though he’ll have to kick his foul
trouble habit, he’s smart enough to figure
it out.
Health is the obvious wild card.
Nobody really knows how Bosh’s left
foot or Jorge Garbajosa’s left fibula will
hold up. But almost every team is one
popped ligament from doom. And the
Raptors weathered Bosh’s 12-game

absence last year with six wins.
The truth is, Vegas gets it wrong sometimes (last year they had the over-under
on Raptors wins at around 30). And the
media gets it wrong a lot. Yesterday,
Bryan Colangelo, the architect of the
Raptors roster, was heard deriding the
forecasters — the “so-called experts,” he
called them.
It irks him, and he acknowledged it
motivates him and his players, that bigname acquisitions are still valued more
highly than Toronto’s chemistry and continuity. No matter that considerable doses
of the latter have been the building
blocks for model franchises like San
Antonio. No matter that the U.S. has seen
its all-star-laden Olympic and world
championship representatives drilled by
more seamless teams of relative nobodies for years now. But what’s history to
the teeming masses below?
“The continuity … the chemistry, you
can’t overlook that,” says Colangelo.
“It’s something that might not show up in
those pre-season (predictions) but it’s
certainly something that’s going to help
us find the success we need to find.”

New NHL ads air on TSN

A

fter trying battling robots and
off-beat humour, the NHL is
going back to the basics with
its ad campaign. The league launched
its new “Live every shift” campaign on
Versus in the U.S. last week with two
commercials that feature NHL stars
talking about their passion for the
game.
They debuted in Canada Oct. 30 during TSN’s broadcast of the MontrealAtlanta game.
In one, Sidney Crosby asks if this
will be the year he wins the Stanley

Skiier Kelly Vanderbeek

Cup. Wayne Gretzky asks if this will be
the year someone breaks his record of
93 goals.
The only nod to humour comes when
Carolina’s Eric Staal asks, “Is this the
year we finally figure out who is dad’s
favourite?” in reference to his hockeyplaying brothers.
“This campaign presents an authentic
depiction of the sport and our players as
they passionately speak about the
game,” said NHL marketing head Brian
Jennings.
— Torstar wire service

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Another year of fear,
lies and wins awaits
By Randy Starkman
Torstar wire service

A

mong
the
truths
Kelly
VanderBeek has discovered
about ski racing are the lies you
have to tell yourself to keep hurtling
down mountains at 100-plus kilometres
per hour.
“I think anybody who says there’s no
fear involved are lying to themselves …
which we do, we totally lie to ourselves,” says the 24-year-old from
Kitchener. “It’s the only way we can
convince ourselves to really throw ourselves down a mountain.”
It’s that time of the year again for
VanderBeek and her teammates on the
Canadian alpine ski team.
The long sleeves on VanderBeek’s
shirt couldn’t hide the cast she has on her
broken wrist, suffered in a recent crash
during training on Farnham Glacier in
B.C.
It’s the second injury of the off-season
for VanderBeek, who also endured a sixweek rehab, including two weeks on
crutches, when she crashed and severely
bruised her tibia during training in
Chile.
It’s not exactly something that boosts
your confidence, but the pride of tiny
Chicopee Ski Club has also managed to
squeeze in a lot of good training and
feels she’ll be ready to be a factor at the

season-opening speed race in early
December in Lake Louise, where she
copped her first World Cup podium last
year.
“I still feel confident going into the
season,” says VanderBeek. “And if I’m
not, I fake it.”
One skier who knows all about conquering the fear factor is former World
Cup downhill champion Steve
Podborski, now working for TELUS.
Podborski announced TELUS has
signed a one-year, $1-million sponsorship and is extending its commitment
through 2012.
The skiers were looking a bit like
Formula One racers with all the logos on
their nordic sweaters, but it’s the
increased sponsorships that have
enabled them to beef up the squad to 44
racers as they seek to become a force at
the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Depth was a key factor last year as the
team achieved a record 14 World Cup
podiums. They also claimed a silver in
men’s downhill at the worlds by Jan
Hudec, who broke through at the event
with his first podium after missing three
years because of knee injuries.
Hudec is acutely aware of the mental
battles that must be waged on the hill.
“You can’t hide from it. The guys who
say they’re never afraid, they’re lying,
not accepting the fact of fear. But it doesn’t mean you have to succumb to it.”

NOVEMBER 2, 2007

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 35

FIFA gives Canada
slap in the face
By Cathal Kelly
Torstar wire service

I

t’s not that FIFA dislikes Canada.
They’re just not that into us.
Soccer’s world governing body
gave us a patronizing pat on the head
this week when we came canvassing
for the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Canada has shown “what football
can be in a country where, so far, football is not the No.1 sport,” FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter said after Canada’s
final presentation. “We appreciate what
you’ve done and we have good hopes
for you and what you can do in the
future.”
Translation: Have a safe trip home.
Then he and his colleagues retired for
what must have been the easiest set of
World Cup deliberations in history.
Three hours later, they returned to
award Germany the 2011 competition.
In some ways, it was an easier choice
than giving the men’s World Cup to
Brazil in 2014, as nobody else bothered
applying.
A day before the vote, the Canadian
Soccer Association still felt its chances
at winning the right to host in four
years time was a 50-50 shot.
Much of that good feeling came from
the rightly held belief that we’d done a
good job with last summer’s U-20
men’s tournament. But FIFA, like many
inside this country, know a dysfunctional bureaucracy when they see one.
A year ago, long before the simmering tensions surrounding the resignation of CSA president Colin Linford

burst to the fore, the CSA sent its
revamped constitution to FIFA for
approval. It was returned with “suggestions” that included taking a look at the
current method of voting, which skews
power to bigger provinces with larger
numbers of registered players.
Apparently, the issues that dog our
political leaders are also taking a bite

Apparently, the
issues that dog our
political leaders are
also taking a bite
out of our sporting
poobahs.
out of our sporting poobahs.
The CSA will argue with whether the
“suggestions” equal a rebuke. But it’s
clear that FIFA was not about to hand a
showcase event to Canada until we
have our collective house in order.
Whether or not interim CSA president
Dominic Maestracci is equal to that
task is not yet clear, but he was a member of the governance committee that
dealt with FIFA. He should understand
better than most what barriers we have
constructed for ourselves at the highest
levels.
Earlier in the week, Blatter gave us

the best possible reason to make sure
we’re in good with FIFA in the near
future.
The scrapping of the rotation system
for the men’s World Cup means Canada
is in with an outsider shot to take part in
the near future.
England is immediately the frontrunner to host the 2018 World Cup. But
there is still the matter of two World
Cups already awarded. It appears FIFA
is too far down the road with South
Africa 2010 to do much to alter its
course. Considering that this bid is
bedevilled by a variety of issues.
But only hours after its awarding,
Brazil’s World Cup is already in doubt.
South America’s largest nation faces
many of South Africa’s problem —
political corruption, rampant crime and
an empty kitty.
The difference is that Blatter sees
holding a World Cup in Africa as the
key accomplishment of his presidency.
He has no similar warm feeling about
Brazil.
The rumours have begun to circulate
about an emergency host stepping in to
bail FIFA out in seven years.
The most likely surrogate is the U.S.
If Canada was to offer to host matches
in one or two cities, that would spread
out costs and offer some multinational
credibility to the bid.
It’s not altogether likely, though
entirely possible and totally tantalizing.
If our soccer bosses didn’t have enough
incentive already to smarten up, FIFA
has given us a slap and a stroke this
week to urge us forward.

H e l p

f o r

t o d a y .

H o p e

f o r

t o m o r r o w . . .

Heads
Up for
Healthier
Brains
Here are 4 simple things that you can do at any age to improve your brain
health and that may help reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease:
1. Challenge your Brain – give it a daily workout
2. Be Socially Active – connecting socially helps you stay connected mentally
3. Choose a Healthy Lifestyle – be active, eat well and watch your health
numbers (cholesterol, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure)

Godfrey: Players never tipped about drug tests

4. Protect your Head – use a seatbelt and wear a helmet for sports

T

Take action for a healthier brain today.

hough the Toronto Blue Jays
front office sometimes receives
notice of random drug tests, team
president Paul Godfrey says the club
ensures the advance warning is not
passed on to players.
“Anybody who would tell the players
would be in deep trouble,” Godfrey
says. “No player is told. Ever.”
An article citing major league baseball sources published Oct. 31 in the
New York Times reported some team

officials were receiving two days’
notice of “surprise” drug tests. Workers
hired to carry out the clubhouse testing
have apparently been calling teams to
request parking passes or asking team
trainers to set up for their arrival.
Godfrey confirms the Jays have been
given as much as 17 hours’ notice of
surprise tests. In those cases, Toronto is
contacted after a night game and
informed drug testing will take place
the following afternoon around 3 p.m.

“If you want an unannounced, random program, then that means ‘unannounced’,” says Dr. Matthew Slawson,
an anti-doping expert at the University
of Utah. “I’d say it’s a problem if
they’re getting notice.”
Godfrey says. “It’s not in this club’s,
or any club’s, interest to put the team in
a position to do something that is contrary to the new rules of baseball.”
— Torstar wire service

This home is located on Octagon Pond, King’s grant in place which gives ownership to water’s edge. This
large bungalow sits in a park-like setting with private beach and wharf. Home features an open concept
with hardwood and ceramic floors, birch cabinets and large island. The home is completely developed
with games room and rec room with wet bar. Large stone patio leading to two storey garage, completely
wired and heated. Rare find in this property. Call Richard Kennedy at 682-6943 for more information on
this spectacular property.